Oneshots
by selfless1978
Summary: I've put all my oneshots here that go with my stories and from now on this is where I'll keep putting them.
1. A light in the darkness

**Author's note: I've decided to put all my oneshots into a long story. I will post them in order of how I published them. My page is getting cluttered lol.**

Dennis ran. He didn't really know where he was running too, his legs just carried him along. Tears were streaming down his face, blocking any chance of seeing clearly. Not that he could anyway in the dark moonless night. He was too upset to care.

He heard his mother's cries to him, calling him back, they just didn't register to his confused, hurt mind. Dennis stumbled on into the darkness, unaware of the cold and dangers of being out here alone. His foot got caught up in a clump of field grass and he tripped, hitting the frozen ground with an ummph, but stubbornly got back up and kept right on going.

He couldn't hear Mommy anymore as he ran into the wooded area, and a slight pang of worry hit him at that thought. But he couldn't stop himself, anger and grief pushed him on deeper into the small forest. Finally his little legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and fighting back more tears. Daddy was leaving, he was leaving! And didn't even come to say goodbye!

He couldn't understand it, why did Daddy not like him? Why did he never come to spend time with him? What had he done wrong to make Daddy not care? He struggled to bring his young mind to understand, but couldn't. Didn't Daddy know that Dennis loved him? Didn't want him to go? Didn't he know that Dennis needed him? He pulled his knees to his chest as he leaned against a tree and brought his head down and cried into them.

There was a coyote howl not far away and for a moment fear broke through the little boy's anguish. Mommy and Gramps had said to never come out here alone. They said he could get hurt real bad out here and they would never know. The only time he was allowed to come out this far was if someone, besides his annoying sister, came out here with him. Listening to those howls, he understood why but he couldn't bring himself to stand back up. He was still confused and frustrated and too tired from all of the running. Maybe if he stayed real still they wouldn't hear him.

What he didn't count on was that canine sense of smell however and he heard the animals rusting through the vegetation, heading his way. There was another frightening howl, this time very close, and it scared him enough to where he forced himself up and ran again. He tried to go back home, but was all twisted around out here, he didn't know which way to go as he stumbled along until he just finally stopped and huddled into a ball, shivering and crying. He was so cold and scared and just wanted to go back home...

Once again the howls ripped through the night, but was cut off this time by pain filled yips. "Get out of here you mangy, flea infested cat shit eaters!" Dennis blinked a moment as he heard that. That was Mikey. Mikey was out here? Maybe he could find him.

He started to get up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he let out a startled squeak, jumping away from it. "Hey, there you are." Leo calmly told him. "We've been looking for you. Got your Mom pretty worried." Dennis looked up at the large turtle as he knelt down next to him and gave him a quick look over. He was expecting to get yelled at and was a little surprised when Leo didn't. "What do you say we go back home? It's cold out here."

Dennis just nodded and Leo took his hand and began to lead him through the woods. "Mikey! I found him!" Leo called out as they went.

"Little guy moves kinda quick." Mikey came out of the woods near them with a grin. "Totally nowhere near where we saw him slip into the woods at."

"Almost as quick as your mouth." Leo smiled at him.

"Nothing moves as quick as my mouth, bro."

"Except your feet when you piss Raph off."

Mikey let out a quick laugh as they kept moving. Dennis let out a shiver due to the cold and Leo caught it, frowning slightly at the little boy. "Mikey, give him your sweater."

"Can do!" He replied before unwrapping it from his waist and sliding it onto Dennis. "You're lucky Dennis. I don't let just anyone wear that." He winked.

Dennis looked up at the two turtles that had come out after him. Now he felt so bad that they had to do that and his eyes watered up again. His emotional limit finally having been reached, he sat down and cried, again. He was embarrassed to do it in front of these tough, don't take crap from anyone guys but couldn't stop the flow once they started. Like a dam breaking, it all came out.

Leo just leaned over and picked him up, holding him close as he began to walk back towards the house. He didn't seem to mind the little boy crying, sniffling and sobbing all over his shoulder, he just held Dennis close to him in a hug. For the first time in a while he actually felt...safe. Leo wasn't going to let the coyotes get him and he was going to take him back home, where he should have stayed all along.

Wrapped up in those secure arms, Dennis started to feel more than a little bad about his actions tonight. He couldn't help it though. Something had just taken over it seemed. The normally sensible little boy that would come running inside at the first crack of a thunderstorm, be inside before it got dark and never ran off like that had been replaced by and unthinking silly head. Then it hit him that Mommy had already been hurt, and she probably hurt herself again trying to catch him. Once he processed that thought he cried even harder. Still, Leo remained calm and silent. He wasn't angry at all, even though he should be. Dennis knew he loved Mommy very much and hated to see her hurt like that but he didn't fuss at the boy, a fact Dennis was enormously grateful for.

After a chilly walk they made it through the front door and Leo headed straight for the lair, keeping Dennis turned away as he walked swiftly with Mikey through the lab. They all remained silent as Raph and Donnie fussed over Mommy, but they were too busy to notice them anyway.

Leo didn't stop until he was in his room, where he gently set Dennis on the bed and sat next to him for a moment. His calm blue eyes watching Dennis. He had by now cried himself pretty much out and exhaustion was setting in. He found it extremely hard to keep his eyes opened and actually let out a big gaping yawn that caused Leo and Mikey to chuckle a little.

"Get some sleep Dennis." Leo smiled at him. The little boy just blinked. He was still expecting to get yelled at, not all this nice treatment and smiles. Daddy would have yelled at him...Mommy too to a lesser degree. Leo just settled him into bed and covered him up. "When you wake up we will talk, ok?" He moved to stand back up.

Dennis looked up to Leo as he got up, and reached out a hand to take his and held it firmly for a few seconds. The leader of his turtle friends looked a little shocked at that, but settled back down on the bed, looking curiously at the child as he did.

"Thank you." Was all he could get out before another yawn hit and his eyes started to drift closed.

Silence was his answer, but there was a reassuring squeeze on his hand and a moment later there was another one on the other hand as Mikey took it. Together they sat with him as he drifted off to sleep.

.

.

How long he slept, he didn't know. It couldn't have been long, just an hour or maybe two. He was still tired and knew he probably should rest more, but he couldn't. To many things were going on in his little head to let that happen. Things he couldn't even begin to understand how to deal with.

The room was dark, so dark he couldn't see anything. Someone had apparently turned the lights off. Normally he would freak out, he was still a bit afraid of the dark, but not this time. He just somehow knew he wasn't alone. That instinct proved correct when a quiet voice reached out to him.

"You didn't sleep very long." Leo said to Dennis as the boy slowly sat up and wiped his eyes a little.

"I can't." Came the half mumbled reply.

It was quiet again for a moment before the lamp next to the bed popped on. Leo had been so quiet Dennis hadn't even heard him move from the chair in the corner where his voice came from a moment before. Leo frowned slightly, Mommy calls it his "Thinking Face", as he watched the little boy a moment. "I see. Too much on your mind?"

Feeling the tears well up in his eyes again, Dennis just nodded.

Leo reached out a hand and took his and helped him off of the bed. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"But...Mommy..." Dennis was so worried. He really shouldn't have run out like that. He knew she would follow him, even as hurt as she was, but he did it anyways.

"She'll be fine." Again Leo squeezed his hand reassuringly. It was kinda funny, as big as his hand was and with the finger count difference, it should have felt weird holding the turtle's hand...but it didn't. "Donnie is fixing her back up and she is sleeping now." Leo finished as they walked from the room. "And you need to work some things out. I'm sure she won't mind if we leave for a little bit."

Dennis just nodded as he let the turtle lead him towards the exit. Chance had it that Donnie was coming out of the lab as they entered the living area where Mikey and Raph were sitting. Raph dozing on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table and Mikey flipping through a comic book. All of them turned their attention to the smartypants turtle as he walked out. Donnie ignored the other two however and looked at Leo and Dennis. "Everything went fine and she's still asleep. If we can keep her in bed long enough, she should make a complete recovery."

Leo snorted with amusement. "Good luck. You know as well as I do she's going to fight you over that."

Donnie just returned Leo's amused look with a level one. "Then I'll tie her down to the bed if I have too."

"Never thought of you as the tying up type Donnie." Raph rumbled from the couch before opening his eyes. "You strike me as more the-"

"Not in front of the boy!" Leo snapped, cutting Raph off as Donnie began to blush. Dennis just looked on confused over it all. Mikey thought it was funny though as he chuckled. Raph just grinned widely but didn't say anything else.

Shaking his head, Leo just kept leading Dennis to the door. "We are going for a walk. If she wakes up before we get back let her know he's with me." He told Donnie as they passed him. Donnie just nodded in reply and soon after they were out in the tunnels.

Again Dennis was amazed on how quiet the larger turtle was. He didn't make a sound as they went and his little scuffing feet sounded very noisy in comparison. He caught himself trying to see exactly how Leo walked to try and find out how he was so quiet doing it. Then he tried to copy it...and made even more noise. Leo just chuckled a little as he watched the boy's attempts. Frustrated Dennis just gave up and went back to normal walking.

"Why are you giving up so soon?" Leo asked him.

"Because I can't do it." Dennis grumbled.

"And you never will if you don't try." Leo stopped and Dennis didn't really have a choice but to stop with him since Leo still held his hand. Then Leo knelt down so he could look Dennis in the eye. "It's always easy to give in when things don't go the way you want them too. To keep trying, that is the hard part. But it's not so hard when you have a little guidance." Leo reached out and took a hold of Dennis' leg and positioned his foot over the ground. "The trick is to not let your foot flop down as you normally would. Bring the heel down gently and bring the rest of your foot down in a rolling motion."

"Feet don't roll." Dennis told him in his most matter of fact tone. If feet were meant to roll they would be round.

Leo gave him that amused half smile as an answer before he chuckled again. "Ok, not roll then." Leo thought a moment. "How about we say we bring it down in a more fluid motion."

"Isn't fluid water? Or soda? Or milk? Or..." He quit when he noticed Leo giving him that amused look again. "What?"

"Yes, you are right. All those things are fluids. But it also means to move smoothly, gracefully."

"I didn't know that." Dennis admitted a bit sheepishly.

"Dennis, if you knew everything at your age then there would be no reason for anyone to teach you. It's not your job to know everything, it's our job to teach you."

"I thought that was Mommy's and Daddy's job." Dennis said quietly.

Leo gently placed the foot back down before giving Dennis his full attention. "It is. But other adults will teach you things if they choose to do so, and if you let them."

"Like the teachers at school?"

Leo smiled again. "Yes them too. But I meant all adults. If they are trustworthy. Sadly, there are some out there that will try to lead you astray. But you have plenty around you that will make an effort to do right by you. I know your Mom tries, as do your grandparents and uncle."

Dennis returned that calm gaze. He was still so confused. He had trusted Daddy like that. Had wanted Daddy so much to teach him stuff like playing baseball, football and all kinds of stuff. But now Daddy was gone. For the countless time tonight he found himself asking why...

Dennis wanted so much to have his Daddy here with him, but was starting to understand that wasn't going to happen. He had thought Daddy was one of the adults he could trust, and now he didn't know what to believe anymore. "Daddy doesn't try like that anymore." He finally slipped out, then wished he could take it back. He didn't want to bother Leo with this. Didn't want to be a burden.

That wasn't the look he got in return though. Leo just regarded him quietly, with sympathy and understanding in his eyes. There was no indication that he was getting on Leo's nerves at all. "Dennis, I can't comment on that really because I don't know your father. I don't know why he does what he does. He has his reasons. I'm not saying they are good ones or bad ones, just that he has them." He took the boy's hand again. Each time it happened, Dennis felt more and more comfortable with it. Like it was just natural for both of them. "I don't know what happened tonight, and I really don't want to upset you by talking about it if you don't want too. But know that if you do ever need to talk, you can come to me. It's not just your mother I care about, I care about all of you and I'd rather you come and talk to me before running off like that again."

"I...I...just don't want to get on your nerves... Daddy always said I talk too much sometimes..." Dennis admitted to the turtle in front of him. He felt the tears form in his eyes again. He had tried so hard to make Daddy like him...had tried so...hard... He began to cry.

"Dennis, listen to me." Leo gently lifted the crying face towards him. "I am not him. You won't get on my nerves." He let out a smile then. "Come on...I live with Mikey. Nothing is worse than that." Inspite of himself Dennis found himself chuckling a little at that. "If the question is important enough for you to ask, I will take the time to answer it. If you need to talk, I will listen. If you want to learn, I will teach, OK?"

Dennis just nodded and Leo pulled him into a hug. As earlier, Dennis found himself feeling warm and safe in those strong arms. He knew Leo had meant what he said. Dennis just held onto the big turtle finally feeling the trust in him that Mommy apparently already felt. Dennis liked the turtles, but wasn't sure how to place them into his life. Somehow that just got a lot less complicated to figure out. He knew Leo would always be there. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. After a few minutes Dennis settled down again, but still held Leo in a hug. "Leo?" He finally asked.

"Yes?"

"Will you teach me how to walk like you do? I want to learn to walk quietly so I can scare my sister."

Leo's body shook with his laughter. "And here I was thinking you wanted to learn to be a ninja."

"Well...that too..."

Leo pulled back and looked at him with a raised eyeridge. "You know I'm going to have to teach her too, just to be fair...right?"

"Fiiiine...but I get first dibs!" Dennis was now very excited. Leo was going to teach him how to ninja walk!

"Ok, goes back to what I was trying to show you earlier before you made me thirsty with all the milk talk..." They spent a long while out in the tunnels, Leo teaching and Dennis eagerly willing to learn. Dennis did eventually get the hang of it, with a lot of patient instruction from Leo. No matter how many times he messed up, Leo kept working with him until it got to the point that on the way back Dennis was already walking a lot quieter than before. He walked alongside the master ninja and got a nod of approval and a smile from the turtle. That smile lit up Dennis' night.

The evening had started with a dark curtain forming around the boy. A curtain of confusion, sadness, hurt and betrayal. Dennis was already starting to adjust his thinking on the way back. Maybe things weren't so bad as he thought. Daddy may have left, and that hurt, would probably do so for a long time, but he understood better now that the others here would always look out for him, be there for him, and that thought made him feel better. That dark curtain didn't seem so dark anymore. There was a pinpoint of light slowly growing in it, pushing it away. A soft blue glow that would not stop until there was no darkness left for him to fear. Dennis wasn't afraid of the dark anymore, he had a new light to guide him. He reached out a hand and slipped it into Leo's again and it stayed there as they walked, quietly, back home.


	2. Complicated Feelings

For the first time in longer than Raph could even remember...he was nervous. Very fucking nervous. So nervous his hands were shaking as he crossed the rooftops. And it wasn't because he was doing it in broad daylight either. It was the reason he was out here on this day, this very special day. Special to him anyway. Might not be so momentous for a lot of other saps out there.

He tried to keep his nervousness under control as he leapt and ran along, tried to focus on the task at hand, but his body wasn't wanting to cooperate with him as he tripped on the parapet of the building he just landed on, then fell forward, flat on his face on the roof.

"Fucking idiot..." He mumbled to himself as he stood back up, more than a little grateful he chose to come out here alone to do this. If any of the others had seen him do that he'd never hear the end of it.

After brushing himself off he continued on his way, more carefully this time. But he wouldn't stop shaking! Ugh! Why was this so damn difficult for him? He never got nervous, so why was he now? Because of what he was feeling, that's why...

Raph sighed as he finally came to a stop over his intended target and looked down at the street below. A street that was full of New Yorkers going about their business, never even knowing he was there. He didn't care about any of them. The only thing that caught his now narrowed in thought eyes was the silly looking man in a bowtie, and the wares he was selling in his little cart. Raph was determined to get something from said little cart. He just had to figure out how to do it without making himself known and sending the whole street running away in fear. Maybe he should have just had Casey do this...

He shook his head. No. This was something he had to do himself. He could not, would not, ask his human friends for help. He took a deep breath, he could do this. He could go toe to toe with numerous foes, smacked Shredder around a few times, busted up countless of Bishop's labs...he could buy one single bouquet of flowers. Then why the hell was he so fucking jittery about it!

"Snap outta it you fucking moron." Great, now he was talking to himself. He was beginning to wonder if he was going crazy. He sighed, who was he kidding, he already was. He was crazy because he had finally done it. He had fallen for a woman, hard. He had fallen for Cris.

He moved away from the parapet and sat down heavily, letting out another sigh. He would have to wait for the bustling traffic to die down a bit down there or risk being spotted. This of course gave him time to think. And he thought of the only thing that seemed to keep his attention lately. A tiny, to him, pain in the ass, loudmouthed, short tempered, annoying, sarcastic, stubborn, non listening woman. A woman that made his knees go weak everytime he looked at her. A woman that brought a inner glow to the normally grumpy turtle. A woman that Raph wanted more than anything else.

He had thought he would never find someone to share his life with. He had come very close to giving up on it. And closer still when Leo found his love. That had just been a lucky coincidence that they ran into Vicky and she in turn didn't run out the door screaming. And it was Leo's luck that she had fallen for him, before they even knew she even existed. That part still creeped Raph out more than a little. Here they fought for survival, theirs and that of others that didn't have a clue about what went on behind closed doors. And Vicky knew about it all...from watching damn kids shows! He shuddered, creepy wasn't even the word for it.

Then, just as they were starting to get used to that whole ordeal with Vicky, Cris comes barging in his life. Another one who had grown up with versions of them that were, how should he put this?, kiddyfied. But it was those shows and movies that allowed her to see past what he was, and see who he was. Just like Vicky did. For the first time, he had found someone that wasn't repulsed by the fact that he was a large turtle. And he had promptly fell head over heels for her. He knew she was the one he had been looking for as soon as he had her in his arms after getting her away from her horse. He knew before she even realized what exactly was going on. When he met her stunned eyes for the first time as she looked up at him before fading out again, something had hit him so hard, so deep, and so suddenly that he had almost dropped her. At the time he didn't fully understand what was happening, now he did. And this is where he was having issues. He had no fucking idea what to do.

He had tried to hide those feelings at first because he wasn't comfortable with them. Didn't know how to handle them. Those first few days he was torn between keeping her away and wanting to hold her tight. That all changed on that first night she went out with them to go get Leo and Mikey. He didn't want her to go and he was honest enough with himself to know it was because he wasn't sure how he would be able to handle having her there, not because she was about as inept and inexperienced as Vicky.

They had managed to get the missing turtles back only to face almost losing Leo once more. He was dying, and Donnie didn't know if he could save him. They had all worked so hard to get them back, and it seemed like the efforts were in vain for Leo.

Raph lost it. He had sunk so deep in despair that night, so afraid of having to permanently say goodbye to his brother, that his anger and rage had an easy time taking it's hold on him. Raph couldn't see past the haze, the hurt. He had lashed out at Casey when his friend tried to calm him down and the others didn't even try after that. All of them but one.

Suddenly she was there. She stood in front of his rage fueled body unafraid, her eyes clear in the curtain of red that he saw. Her eyes, her beautiful eyes, pulled him out of his dark pit. A pit that had stripped all of his walls away that contained his usually pent up emotions. It wasn't safe for him to just let them run free, he had to contain them. In that confused state of mind, his feelings had acted before his mind told him to slow the fuck down. He had grabbed her, pulled her to him and kissed her. He was just as shocked as she was about it, and he was shocked even more when she returned it. She wasn't scared of him, she didn't back away from him and she had managed to pull him from a place where he couldn't free himself. It was then that he fully understood that he needed her. Big tough Raph needed that tiny scrap of a girl. And he wasn't ashamed of it at all.

Unfortunately he really didn't know what to do from there. He wasn't good at this mushy feeling crap. Leo seemed to know instinctively what to do with Vicky, how to read her, judge her moods and wants. He knew how to lessen her fears. Raph didn't know shit. He already felt that he had maybe moved to fast with the kiss and didn't want to push her away by trying to take it further, but he _wanted_ to take it further. Good god, why was this shit so complicated? He got up and checked the crowd below and it had lessened enough to where he felt making an attempt was pretty safe.

Shaking his head at the reason he was here, he threw a prepared pouch with money and a rock to weigh it down so it would actually land where he wanted it too. His distracted mind interfered with his aim a bit as it nailed the bowtie wearing vendor upside the head. He winced a little at that as the man yelped in pain and looked around for his harasser. Good thing he didn't look up though.

Raph used that distraction to shoot an arrow into the largest bouquet the man had, then pulled quickly up on the rope that was attached to the arrow and a few seconds later he was now holding his prize. A prize he never thought he would ever buy for someone on Valentine's Day. His hands began shaking again as he looked it over. It was time he made his feelings perfectly clear and that had him scared shitless.

.

.

Cris was about to give up. She thought she had meant something to him, had thought there was something there. She thought Raph wanted her.

If he did, then why wouldn't he let her get close to him? Why did it seem that he could care less? It had been over a month now since...that day. A day she never would have never dreamed to be apart of, much less get kissed by him.

She leaned back on the couch she was sitting on, a couch that was in the lair as she waited for Raph to come home. She was determined to have a talk with him and the way things were going between them right now it would end up with her walking out the door.

Cris thought she had been dreaming at first. She remembered catching a small glimpse, a flash if you will, shortly after she hit her head on the branch. A quick look at amber eyes surrounded by red filled her vision before she blacked out again Eyes she thought she knew, but couldn't quite place in her befuddled state at the time. And later on her mind still didn't want to work right when she woke up, on a strange couch, in a strange house with four strangers in the room with her. He was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. She thinking she was in dreamland, Cris took in the tall, muscular figure, swallowing hard as she did. He was so _hot_. Just like in the movie...why couldn't all of her dreams be like this?

Then the reality hit her upside the head. This was _not_ a dream. She was in a house with serial killers that were dressed up in turtle costumes for all she knew. Of course she freaked the fuck out. Who wouldn't?

Cris smiled a bit at the memory of it all now. It was still a little hard to take in, sitting here in the living area of the Ninja Turtle home. They were real and one of them had kissed her in this very room. The one she had been crushing on herself the way Vicky had been mooning over Leo.

He had been so angry that night she remembered. So full of rage and frustration. Stalking around the room, destroying furniture that got in his way and punching the walls over and over again. He was going to seriously hurt himself if someone didn't stop him but it didn't seem like any of them could. Cris refused to give up though. After watching his rampage and seeing the near concussion Casey almost got from his efforts to calm him down, Cris got up and went to go try herself. She didn't know exactly what she thought she could do for him to get him to stop, but she had to try. She couldn't just stand there and keep watching him destroy everything around him and hurt himself more than he already was.

He needed an outlet. He felt helpless where his brother was concerned, something Raph historically did not deal well with. Emotions. He wanted revenge, but no enemy was near to assuage his anger. He felt responsible, as he always did when family was hurt. He needed someone to take it all out on but he couldn't leave. So he let loose his rage on all he could. The furnishings and walls took little to destroy as he bloodied himsellf. This had to stop. He was ready to break. Cris could see it in the lines of his face. He was close to tears and he would hurt himself worse if he needed too in order to let it all out.

Cris knew he didn't like her, or so she thought at the time. He was always picking on her and being an ass if he's not avoiding her completely, but she didn't care. He'll always be _her_ Raph and she couldn't watch him do this to himself. She had to do something. She didn't think he will hurt her consciously but she was prepared either way for what might happen.

Stepping between him and the wall was terrifying. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she was shaking but she didn't take her eyes off of his. Her own eyes burned with fresh tears. Tears from the pain of having to watch him do this to himself and the agony he was obviously feeling.

She held his gaze, he was drawn back to punch and she held on, wordlessly asking him to stop. She wasn't judging him and wasn't afraid of him hurting her. She just didn't want him to hurt himself anymore.

Cris watched his face turn from blind rage to determination, and as his fist descended she wondered for a moment if she had been wrong. But her eyes never left his and when his fist came near it changed into a reaching hand. A hand that pulled her roughly towards him before he crushed his lips to hers. The steel bands of his arms we crushing her to his plastron. She only hesitated a moment, the reality that the one man she never thought would see her that way was kissing her didn't take long to process before Cris was meeting him with her own passionate response. The kiss was hard but his lips were soft as they molded to her own. She submitted to him fully, melting into his embrace and as his tongue slipped along the seam of her lips asking for entrance she granted it immediately and was suddenly filled with his spicy taste.

Something had changed in him during that kiss. His anger seemed to melt away as he continued the kiss, trying to draw something out of her she really couldn't describe. Cris could only assume she gave him what he needed for the simple reason that when he finally broke that kiss, his anger had turned into grief. Grief that he couldn't do anything to help his brother. She continued to support him as best as she could as he collapsed to the floor, pulling her down with him. The tears now freely running down his face as he held her close to him. Fighting her own emotions she held onto him just as tight as his tears soaked into her hair.

Why is he keeping her at arms length now? Normally a guy would be all over a girl once they know she's into them... so what's his deal? She wasn't fawning over him or anything, certainly not going stalker. So what gives? She wondered if he did it in the heat of the moment and it didn't really mean anything to him. But he doesn't know what to do or say because Raph is...well...Raph. He doesn't like to apologize and maybe he felt one was necessary? Or maybe he still doesn't like her anymore than he did before but took what he could get? Either way she was confused and hurt over his continuing attitude.

And this is why she was sitting on the couch waiting for him. Cris didn't know what is going on and she felt like she was making him uncomfortable. This was their home after all. She respected him too much to force herself on him if he didn't want her. Plus, it's easier to run away when you realize the guy you think you might love, have always had feelings for doesn't feel the same way. All that adventure just isn't the same in light of that kind of revelation. It all seems a little less exciting and a lot more torturous on a deeper level...easier to just remove yourself from the picture. And that is what she was going to do if needed. Hell, maybe she should just leave now. Spare both of them an uncomfortable conversation.

She had just made up her mind to do just that when the sound of the entrance door to the lair opening made her freeze. It was him, had to be him. The others were all on the other side of the portal.

He came walking in, holding something behind his back as he approached her, his eyes unreadable. "H-hey..." he managed to stumble out of his mouth. "You, ah, you sitting here alone?"

She just raised an eyebrow at him. Why was he acting all...stupid...now? Did he _see_ anyone sitting here with her? "No. I'm having an imaginary birthday party with little invisible elves." She told him.

He chuckled nervously at that and this time she raised both eyebrows at him. He caught the confused look she was giving him and took a deep breath. A breath that was actually a little shaky. He was nervous she realized, very nervous. Ok, this was new...

"I, uh, I was, was hopin' to catch you alone." He said quietly.

"I don't see why. Never made the effort before to do that." She snipped at him, still frustrated from the whole ordeal with him. "Seemed to prefer it actually if there were others here with us."

He winced a little at that one. "Yeah...um...about that..."

Here it comes, she thought, he finally found the balls to tell me to fuck off.

"I...I...shit..." He looked at her more than a little flustered before he tried again. "I, uh, I got you...oh here! Just take the damn things. I suck at this romantic shit!" And with that he finally pulled out what he was hiding behind his back and her eyes grew wide as she took in the, very large, bouquet of roses. Red roses. As he held them out to her she noticed that his hands were trembling, more than a little. Damn flowers looked like they were in an earthquake...

Stunned beyond words she stood up and walked over to him. Her own hands were trembling as she took them from him, ignoring the large hole in the side of the wrapping. "Oh Raph...they are beautiful..." Now she had tears forming in her own eyes as he watched her take them.

"Just like you." He murmured softly, reaching a hand out to hers. "Look, I know I've been...indecisive...with...with how...Damn it. I've been a jackass. There. I said it. I kiss you then I leave you hangin' like that." He looked into her eyes then and she saw the sincerity in them. "I'm sorry."

"Raph...I don't know what to say..."

"Then maybe we both shouldn't say anything. For once, just once, maybe it's time we let our feelings do the talking, if they are still there."

"Mine are. I was starting to wonder about yours though." She admitted to him.

"Well, let me clear that up for you." He pulled on the hand that he was holding and met her in a kiss. A kiss she gladly returned.

After a few moments, not breaking his tender hold on her lips, he picked her up and began to carry her to his room. When he got there she turned the handle for him and he used his body to force the door open, then kicked it closed with his foot once they were in. She giggled a little as he stumbled over his weights in his haste as he tried to make his way to the bed.

"Motherfucker!" He snapped as he did a weird, not fall on his ass hop. "That fuckin' hurt!" He complained as he finally made it to the bed and set her down on the floor. She carefully placed the flowers down on the night stand before turning her amused face back towards him.

"Well, I'm not kissing your stank ass foot better." She told him. "So don't even try asking."

"Wasn't going too." He grinned at her. "A few thing I'd like to kiss on you though."

A shiver ran up her spine as he said that and she looked up at him. "Oh? Like what?"

He didn't answer, but his eyes went from playful, to something else entirely as his hands gently slid down her sides. Then she shivered again as they came back up, under her shirt. She closed her eyes to the feeling of his fingertips running over her bare skin. "I'm sure you can imagine exactly what." He told her as his hands found their way to her breasts, his thumbs running over her covered nipples.

"Mmmm...that I can."

He slid his hands back down and out of her shirt. That caused her to open her eyes and look at him curiously. His eyes met hers, searching, before he spoke. "Are you...are you sure you want to? I don't want to make you feel like I pushed you into this."

"Raph, you haven't learned by now that you can't make me do anything I don't want to do? Or that i'm going to do what I want regardless of what you say?" She smiled a bit impishly at him as she pointed those facts out to hm.

"And just what exactly do you want?" He asked, not taking his eyes from her.

"You, dipshit." And to emphasise her point, she grabbed his harness and pulled him down towards her so she could kiss him again. "Why do you have to be so damn tall?" She complained once they had finished with that round. Her neck was staring to get a kink in it from the awkward angle.

"Why do you have to be so short?" He replied with a quirky grin.

"Why do you have to be an ass?"

"Because you like me that way." This time he guided her onto the bed before he covered her mouth with kisses again. His hand slipped back under her shirt and continued it's earlier exploration. Her own hands wandered over his body, removing anything that didn't naturally belong to him. Why did he have to wear so much useless crap? He didn't have half as many problems with getting her stuff off as she did with his. To prove her point, he pulled her up into a sitting position before he smoothly slid her shirt off, then easily unhooked her bra. She on the other hand was still trying to figure out how to unwrap his damn loincloth. How did this silly belt actually hold this thing up? Or was it even a belt or just a strip of decorated cloth? Why in the hell did he have to wear a loincloth anyway? Frustrated she pulled on it, growling as she did. Stupid, useless, piece of shit cloth...

Suddenly she found herself pushed back onto the mattress, his eyes intent on hers again and filled with lust this time as his heavy breathing tickled softly over her skin. "Do that again." He told her.

"Do what?" she asked confused. "Try and take that pain in the ass loincloth off?"

"Growl." He growled.

"You want me to growl? Seriously?"

"I'm not going to ask you again."

"You didn't ask me the first time. You told me. And I am not going to growl."

"Let's just see about that." He said before he crushed his mouth against hers. She felt his hand slip down to her pants and roughly pushed them out of the way along with her undergarment. Cris had to quickly lift her hips to help him with that otherwise she wouldn't _have_ any pants to wear. He was so worked up now she really didn't think he had the patience to go gently on her clothes.

Within a few heartbeats, they were off and on the floor. She hoped they made it there intact but he didn't give her the chance to look as he came right back in. This time he brushed his lips across her bare skin before he reached the nipple of her breast. Then he went from kissing to biting as his teeth took hold of the now swollen nub and gently squeezed. Cris slammed her head back into the pillow as a soft cry escaped her lips. A cry she couldn't hold back even if she wanted too.

He kept up with the slight pressure even as his hand slipped between her thighs. There he began to caress her, tease her. Came so close to slipping them inside he folds, but never quite going all the way inside the sensitive area. He kept up that teasing touch until she began to get frustrated with it. She pushed her pelvis into his hand, wanting him to stop the wanting ache she was beginning to feel, and he ignored that unspoken request. His fingers still stubbornly refuse to enter and give her the relief she so desperately wanted, needed, from him. Without even realizing what she was doing she let out a low, almost feral growl and when she did his lips broke from her breast and he replied with a growl of his own as he slipped his finger in, hard, pushing it against her clit. "Damn...Raph..." She breathed as she squirmed against his touch.

He watched her as she writhed in pleasure under him, his eyes boring into her as her body craved more of him. She was breathing heavily at his unrelenting, pleasing, pressure. Her heavy breaths filling more and more with soft cries and moans as she felt something build. Something only he could cause. Something she so desperately wanted, and almost got, when he just stopped. Panting, she looked at his solemn eyes. They still had that lust in them, that hunger for something from her. "You fucking asshole." She gasped out. "Why did you stop?"

Her only answer was a small smile on that face and she growled in frustration again. He was seriously starting to piss her off. With that sound came out his eyes flashed with that came feral hunger that she felt for him and he kissed her, hard, as his finger pushed against her again. With more pressure than before. Release hit her just as hard as he forced it to come and she screamed into his kissing mouth before she threw her head back against the pillow. Still he rubbed her, not letting that feeling dissipate as her head whipped back and forth on his pillow, her cries reaching out to him. Finally after a long low scream from her he let his hand slip out. By this point she was barely able to focus on anything as she let her head fall to the side, her breathing coming in fast, heavy pants.

Raph looked down at the woman under him with wonder in his eyes. She was so beautiful to him, her now unbound hair spread across his pillow like a golden brown halo as she recovered from her orgasm. Her skin was so soft, so warm. He still didn't really believe she was here with him, wanting to do this. He kept expecting her to just poof away, like some weird dream. His hand couldn't get enough of wandering her now sweating, naked body, marveling at how it felt against his own rough skin. Her eyes closed at his touch and a moan escaped her lips as he brushed across her nipples again. A moan he was causing and that sounded...tired.

He lifted his head from her as he watched her again. God he wanted her so bad. Wanted to feel her around him as he pushed inside of her. He restrained himself enough to let her recover though. Maybe he had already pushed her too far.

She wearily turned her head back to face him once her breathing calmed down. She didn't speak as she looked up into his eyes. But brought a hand up instead. She gently stroked his cheek with it, exhaustion very clear in her movements, but her face was lit up with happiness nonetheless.

She readjusted the grip and pulled him down to her waiting lips and kissed him softly. "Do it." She said quietly to him.

"Babe, I think I've pushed you far enough." He replied a little worried. Suddenly she seemed so small to him, so frail.

"You don't know how much I can take. I'll be fine. I know you want too...and I want you too."

"Cris...I don't know..."

"I love you." She suddenly said, looking right at him as she said it.

"W-what?" Speechless didn't even begin to describe how he felt.

"Are you deaf now? I. Love. You."

He just looked stunned down at her. He was fighting a whole new set of feelings at that moment shock, amazement...love. "Cris, my little firecracker, I love you too." He choked out before she pulled him towards her, not into a kiss this time, but into a hug.

After laying there quietly for a bit, he felt her hand once again wander towards his loincloth, still stubbornly trying to get it off. "What are you doing?"

"You know exactly what I'm doing. I told you, you have no idea how much I can take. Now either you help me get this damn thing off, or I'll just rip it off." She gave it a good yank to prove her point.

Raph gave in. He couldn't fight his own desires and her too. That piece of fabric finally came flying off to land on the floor next to her garments.

He wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting to happen next, but he sure wasn't expecting for her to zero right in on his slit. Her fingertips gently skimmed the top of it and he closed his eyes and shuddered in pleasure. "How...how did you know-" He shuddered again as she ran those delicate fingers against him. "...know to go there..."

She gave him a mischievous smile. "Simple. Vicky writes Fanfics you know that right?" Raph nodded, not fully trusting himself to speak. "I read them. And so does she. Various authors have told the readers where to look, if you are brave enough to read the stories."

Dammit...ratted out by a bunch of fans he didn't even know really existed before he met these two women.

She expertly put her knowledge to use and this time it was Raph who found himself squirming under her touch. Her gentle hands coaxed his member out and he couldn't hold back the deep churr that rumbled out as she wrapped her hand around it.

"Oh my goodness..." She breathed. "It's...larger than I expected."

"I..you...we...don't have...to do this if you...can't..." Raph was finding it very hard to focus his thoughts with her hand around him like that and he almost lost his mind when she began to stroke it.

"Raph, just shut up and fuck me." She calmly replied.

He was by now more than ready. He wanted her, now. He propped himself over her as she spread her legs wide for him. Once again her chest was heaving with heavy breaths as she waited for him to enter her, her face flushed and her eyes full of the same want that he had for her. He place himself against her, teasing her with the tip and the moan that slight touch caused her almost made him lose it. God he loved this woman, loved everything about her. And it was time that he showed her just how much he did. He pulled back and lined himself up with her, both of them eager now for that first thrust. Both of them wanting the other. He looked in her eyes for confirmation one last time, and got a willing nod in return. He was ready, she was ready. He began to push in, he could feel her tight flesh part for him as he started to penetrate her. Her eager, soft, warm, flesh...

Suddenly the door banged open and they both whipped their heads around in shock towards it at the same time. "Hey Raph! Do you know where the...oooooh shit..." Mikey stopped and stared at them as they stared back at him. All three of them in shock.

That lasted about a good three seconds before Raph snapped. "MIKEEEEEEY! You are so fucking _dead_!" He roared as he leapt off of the bed, but the younger turtle was already long gone. He quickly snatched up his loincloth and was out the door before he was even done rewrapping it. He was going to kill that little fucker! Kill him! Slam his head so hard into the floor they would feel it in China! By the time he was done with his little brother not only would he learn to knock, but he wouldn't have any god damn hands to knock with!

He ran past a stunned Leo and Vicky as he caught sight of his little brother heading into the dojo. Good. Now he had the fucker cornered.

He chased after the younger turtle, intent on rearranging certain body parts. But as mad as he was, there was still a part of him that was smiling. She said she loved him. That was more than he had ever hoped for. And just as soon as he got done with this nosy asswipe, he was going to finish showing her just how much he loved her.


	3. The Dance

To say that Amy was disappointed was a huge understatement. Morally devastated came closer. The 15 year old girl had been looking forward to the father/daughter dance at school. She had spent almost a month looking for the perfect dress, and almost as long for the right pair of shoes. Endured lessons from her mother, who took ballroom classes when she was a teen herself, so Amy would at least know the basic steps and not look like a complete idiot out on the dancefloor in front of her classmates.

Gramps was going to take her, and be her date, but it seemed that his work decided otherwise. With only a few hours left until the start of the dance his work had called him in. The stubborn old man had tried to talk his way out of it but the end result still ended up with him having to go in. He grumbled a lot over it, but he really didn't have a choice. It did pay his bills after all.

Amy understood that. She was mature enough not to fall into the entitled, pompous, selfrightoues attitude most of her generations females seemed to come equipped with. She knew the man worked hard for everything they have, and still had to do so to maintain it all. Didn't mean she was happy about it though. Not to mention she had spent the last few hours sitting in a beauty parlor to get that perfect hairstyle she had picked out months in advance and had her makeup professionally done because neither she nor her mother really were good at it, only to come home to find out she wasn't going after all. She had worked as many shifts as she could at her after school job to afford all of this, and it was now apparently all for nothing. Yeah...life sucked sometimes.

She had gone to her room and flopped herself onto her bed. It wasn't a large room, most mobile home rooms weren't, but she was fine with it. Leo had asked her if she wanted a larger room in the lair when they expanded it out but she had declined. She liked her snug little room, filled with stuffed animals her mother had passed down to her along with new ones she had collected over the years. Boy bands didn't decorate her walls, cherished mementos did. She took comfort in her little private haven when things went...well...went to shit.

It also had her old blankets both of her grandmothers had made her hanging on the walls as little tapestries. It was strange if you thought about it, her dad didn't care enough to call, but his mother was still very much a part of her life, which became interesting when that set of grandparents came to visit. Mom and Donnie had to scramble to play 'hide the turtles' every time they came up. They both by now had perfected that art and Amy was glad Mom took the time to figure out how to deal with that dilemma, because her Memaw could make some beautiful blankets and most of them hung now on her walls, bringing her a lot of comfort when she needed it. Not to mention photos of her unusual family decorated her nightstand and what free spaces the blankets left on the walls. Yes, she loved her little room, because this little room reflected everything she loved the most.

There was a quiet knock at the door and she gave permission to enter and her mother quietly opened the door. "Hey. I really like that style, looks good on you."

Amy absently touched the half up half down locks. "Yeah, well, no point in having it this way now." She mumbled and she moved to take out the hair pins.

"Hold on before you do that." Mom told her. "Was wondering if you would mind if I took some pictures of you in the dress."

"What on earth for?"

"Well, you did spend a decent amount of time and effort trying to save up for it, not to mention trying to find the right dress. Seems a bit of a shame for you to just it hang in your closet and completely forget about it."

"Yeah, I guess. Give me a few minutes."

"Shoes too." Mom smiled.

"Really? Oh, good lord. Fine..." Not even practical Amy was immune to the eye rolls teens always seemed to give their mothers.

"Thank you sweety." She said as she closed the door back.

Sighing, Amy got up off of her bed and moved across the small space to her closet. She pulled out the pale pink dress and looked it over with another disappointed sigh. It really was pretty. It was an off the shoulder style with the sleeve straps hanging loose across her upper arm. It had just enough petticoat underneath the ankle length skirt to give it a little poof, but nothing outrageous. It was sleek, simple, fitted her perfectly and she really did love it. Maybe a few pictures of her in it wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

She slipped into it, getting around the zipper issue with a simple trick her mother taught her, an old wire clothes hanger slipped into the zipper hole that she pulled up on, then easily unhooked when she had it zipped up. She smiled at the reason she could reach behind her so easily to accomplish that task. Ninjas had to be flexible after all. Then she slid into her closed toe pumps she had dyed to match her dress before looking at her jewelry box. "Ah, what the heck. Might as well go all out." She mumbled to herself as she slipped the earrings and necklace out. After adorning herself with the small diamond pieces, a present from her mother and Leo last Christmas, she looked herself over in the mirror for a moment. The normally tomboyish teen had to admit, she liked the way it all came together. Not bad for a girl who spent her time tumbling around on training mats while most other girls went to the mall.

Amy stepped out of her room, honestly feeling a little self conscious about her get up. She was used to running around in torn jeans and t-shirts, dresses were a rarity for her. Heels clicking on the linoleum floor, she walked into the living room only to find it and the kitchen empty.

A little shocked at that, she had been expecting her mother here after all, she turned and walked to the back of the house where her mother's room was. Amy knocked a few times and when she didn't get an answer she carefully opened the door. She found the clothes her mother had been wearing just fifteen minutes before thrown messily on the bed, but no Mom. "Huh. Must be in the lair." She quietly told herself before she turned around and went towards the hallway closet door that hid the other half of her home.

She stepped through the portal to an empty lab. Now that was unusual, Donnie was almost always in here working on something or other. She just shrugged and kept going, Mom wanted her pictures after all. Amy clicked her way across the lab and opened the closed door, another rarity, Donnie usually left it open. But all thoughts of the odd lab moments literally disappeared as she stood in open mouthed shock at what she saw.

All the furniture had been taken out of the living area and the lights had been dimmed. Streamers and buntings hung from the walls and an old disco ball of Mikey's had been brought out, polished and hung up. The floor had been not only swept and mopped, but also waxed until it reflected the dim light that came from Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling. Mikey was in the corner of the room with his CD player and Donnie was just finishing hooking it up to the elaborate speaker set up. Raph was setting the last platters of finger food on what appeared to be a hastily set up buffet table, adorned with Granny's best tablecloth. She finally found her Mom as she placed the punch bowl on the table. But what caught her eye was Leo standing in the middle of the room under the disco ball. He wasn't wearing his usual get up, but wore instead a modified tux he had only, as far as Amy knew, worn once for a very special occasion. It took Amy's stunned eyes a moment to noticed all the others were also decked out in their best clothes.

Leo's calm blue eyes watched her from under his mask as she stood stunned in the doorway before a warm smile found it's way onto his face. He then held out his hand towards her. Amy actually found her legs trembling a little as she walked across the shiny floor towards him, holding an equally shaky hand to her mouth.

Once she was in front of him he gently took her hand as the first notes of Rascal Flatts "My Wish" began to softly fill the room. "Couldn't let all that hard work you put in go to waste." He told her gently as he pulled her into the first steps of the dance. He smiled down at her again as he confidently led her across the floor. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Amy somehow managed to choke out. She smiled up at the turtle that had filled a spot that her dad left vacant those years ago. Leo had more than stepped up to the task, as what was happening now proved. Her eyes filled with tears as they moved across the room, his steady, sure steps guiding her.

They passed Mom who was watching them with a small smile of her own. Then Mikey who was blowing his nose in a handkerchief...that he stuffed back into his own tux pocket. Raph's eyes were also a little moist as they passed him, an arm wrapped around Cris. Amy noticed none of it. She was lost in this dance with the being who had originally deserved the right to escort her to the father/daughter dance, but couldn't. Suddenly she was glad she couldn't go to the school dance. This more than made up for it, and it meant more to her too. The effort it must have taken to throw all of this together in just a few short hours...

The tears finally spilled out of her eyes as she laid her head on his chest. Without missing a step he tightened his arm around her as they kept dancing. "Thank you." She said again after she got herself somewhat under control. "This is...wow..." She took a deep breath as she lifted her head up to look at him again. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know." Leo calmly replied. "But I wanted too. We might not be of the same blood, or the same species for that matter, but I fully consider you my daughter and I love you just as much as I love Lavi." He smiled again. "Besides, I was jealous that Gramps was going to take you, so when I found out he got called into work I jumped at the chance to do this."

Amy laughed as he winked at her then put her head on his chest again. "I love you too Leo."

By then the others began to step into their own dances. Dennis with Mom, Raph and Cris, Donnie and Marina, Mikey and Caitlin. Even the smaller turtles were swirling and twirling in their little dresses and modified suits. Ari and Lavi taking turns dancing with Ty, Thane and Dante.

Leo made every effort to keep her happy and dancing and she enjoyed herself enormously. Not even the quick brawl between Raph and Mikey that happened when the younger somehow managed to spill a whole cup of punch on the elder could ruin the mood. Leo just grinned and shook his head while Mom and Cris broke up the fight. Tonight his attention was on Amy and he let her know time and time again that this special night belonged to her. He did dance with Lavi a few times, and Mom, but he always came back to her. It was well after midnight when things finally started to wind down and by then the love she had for this turtle had finally pushed her to say something she had never really said before. It was the last dance and she had flipped her shoes off already after Mom got her pictures. She was stepping barefoot across the floor with Leo before she finally looked up at him again. "I love you Daddy." She told him quietly.

His eyes took on a shocked look. She had never called him that before, for reasons of her own that they both knew. Daddy before had been the man who had sired her, then walked out on her family. Daddy had been the man that broke two little hearts when he moved away without taking the time to come and say goodbye. Leo understood that, understood that she was more than a little hesitant to tack that Daddy on him because she associated the word with someone who had done nothing but hurt her. To her it was almost an insult to call him that. But she rethought the meaning of the word and decided that if anyone deserved the name...it was Leo and it was past time to let him know that.

The effect of it when she finally did for the first time was more than even she expected. His blue eyes moistened up and a single tear slipped down the front of his mask before he was able to reply. "I love you too pumpkin." He pulled her into a hug and they finished the rest of the dance in silence, neither one of them needing to say anything else. That night turned out to be one of the most meaningful nights in her entire life and she never would forget a single detail of it. She couldn't even if she wanted too, it was forever buried in her heart and soul and would forever stay there. This strange creature she originally knew as a fictional character had more than earned the right to be her father. And her father is what he will always be to her.


	4. Fix It

Donnie was seriously getting tired of this crap. Once again Mikey ended up breaking something, because Raph ended up slamming him into it as a prank retaliation. He was more than fed up with their shenanigans. Every time _they_ broke something _he_ had to fix it. Didn't matter if it was the TV, fingers, furniture, legs, walls or teeth...it was always dumped into Donnie's lap.

Donnie looked over the latest victim, Vicky's hot water heater. She had one of those type of mobile homes where the storage room for the hot water heater had the door on the outside, opening into the small compartment that held it. It made no logical sense to Donnie really on why they did it that way. If the thing decided to blow up it didn't matter if the door was inside or outside...it still would take out that half of the house. Whoever designed this thing really needed their head examined.

The only reason Donnie was so annoyed about how this was set up, he was sure if he actually thought about it for a little bit there was a perfectly reasonable explanation on why it was set up this way, was because it had left it in a very vulnerable spot. It was protected from wind, rain, hail, the hot summer sun and all kinds of natural things, but it wasn't protected well enough from Mikey's dumbass. Especially when Raph was the one who slammed him into the damn door, which he ended up crashing through, which ended up in him smushing the hot water heater. Donnie looked in dismay at the twisted lump of metal that had just an hour before been a perfectly working appliance. This was going to take awhile.

He sighed as he shut the water and gas off that led to this little storage room, then began to try and pry the stupid thing out. It was so messed up he had to rely on brute force to get it out more than his tech knowledge. With a rattle and clangs as parts came falling off of it from the sudden movement, it finally slipped free of the compartment and Donnie just dumped it onto the grass next to him. It was already broke so no point in being gentle with it. He then returned his attention to the inside of the little room, surveying for anymore damage, and found plenty. Not to mention everything was wet from when all the water spilled out of the numerous ruptures in the tank. Those fucking idiots! This thing was heated with gas and they had come real close to rupturing the gas line! They could have blown the whole house sky high with their antics! Why was he cursed with such...neanderthals...for brothers?

Muttering to himself, Donnie began the task of fixing the room and adding some improvements when he thought they were needed. After a couple of hours he was almost done with that part of the current disaster, when one of the two responsible decided to show up. "Hey Donnie! You almost done with that? Can't wash dishes without hot water." Mikey...it had to be Mikey...

Donnie pulled his head out and glared at his little brother. "Well if you wouldn't have thrown goat shit in Raph's face right after training out here this morning, he wouldn't have thrown you and all of this would never have happened."

"Yeah, but it did, and now I need hot water."

"Then take the dishes to the lair and wash them." Donnie replied as he turned back to what he was doing.

"Dude..seriously? You want me to take the dishes all the way to the lair, wash them there, and then carry them all the way back? Waaay to much effort..."

Did he just...oh no he didn't... Donnie came back out and glared at him again. His amber eyes darkening a little with his anger and Mikey paled at the sight of a very pissed off Donnie. "Effort? _Effort?!_ You want to talk about effort? Fine lets talk about effort..." Donnie stalked in on Mikey. "You have managed to break every single single thing we own, and most of them twice or more, and guess who gets to fix them." Donnie stomped closer. "And did I complain about it? No. I just keep repairing things you and that hothead always manage to break. Now that we have expanded our home to here, the two of you decide to take your destruction derby to Vicky's things, knowing she can't replace this shit on her own because she is tight on money. Especially with the twins being only a few weeks old and she can't work as much. So guess who gets to fix _those_ things as well." Donnie was standing right in front of Mikey now and brought his face in close. "So don't _you_ talk to _me_ about EFFORT!" He roared the last word out and Mikey tilted back from him. "You can at least take the god damn dishes to the god damn lair and wash the god damn things there!"

Mikey was leaning so far backwards now that he fell over. He looked up at Donnie who was standing over him, hands on his hips, shooting daggers at him with those angry eyes. "Dude...you seriously need a chill pill..."

Donnie's anger filled scream was loud enough to send the birds flapping in fright out of the few trees nearby.

Mikey prudently scrambled away from his brother as shit started flying his way. Water heater pieces, rocks, sticks, more water heater pieces. If Donnie could get his hands on it, he threw it. Mikey was dodging all of them as he hauled ass around the house.

Trying to get his anger and frustration under control, Donnie returned back to the task at hand. He was almost done fixing up the compartment and was about to take the water heater itself back to the lair when he heard footsteps approaching again. Thinking that Mikey was dumb enough to actually come back, he snapped again. "What!?" He screamed at the footsteps as they stopped behind him.

Silence was his only answer and Donnie turned to look and see why Mikey wasn't talking. Maybe Raph had finally bricked his mouth shut... It wasn't Mikey however that was standing there. Dennis was staring at him wide eyed and close to tears as he held something in his arms. Now Donnie felt like shit. He had just yelled at an innocent eight year old boy. "Sorry kiddo, thought you were Mikey. What did you need Dennis?" He asked in a calmer tone then.

"I...I...was w-w-wondering if...you could help me fix my helicopter..." He said quietly as he watched Donnie apprehensively. Probably expecting Donnie to rip his head off or something.

The smart turtle sighed as he watched the little boy. So much had changed for this poor kid in the last few years and he was having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to it all. First his parents split, then the turtles just ended up popping into the boy's living room one night, then his dad moved away, the whole ring around the portal mess and now his mom had two new additions to care for. Dennis had always been the quieter one of the two, the shy one. The kid never asked really for anything and just accepted it all quietly. But even Donnie had noticed the boy had become more with drawn lately. He was barely there it seemed at times, just because he didn't want to bother anyone. And the one time he does ask for something...Donnie snaps at him. Good going there genious.

And there was something about the way he asked. Not 'fix this' but 'could you help _me_ fix this'. He thought he saw something in the child, something Dennis really hadn't had a chance to explore for himself they way Donnie was able to when he was younger. Donnie thought about that a minute before he answered. "I'm sorry Dennis. I have to get this fixed."

He saw the slight hope that was in those small hazel eyes dim. "Oh...ok." He turned to leave Donnie to his work before the turtle could even finish.

"Dennis, wait." Dennis stopped and turned back to look at him. "If you want you can help me with this, and when we are done I'll take the time to help you with your toy."

"Really?" His eyes lit up again. "I can help?"

His earlier anger now forgotten, Donnie smiled and nodded.

Dennis rushed to the patio table and placed his helicopter down on it before rushing back, standing next to Donnie with his hands clasped behind his back and looking up to him with a wide grin.

"Well then, let's get started shall we?"

The rest of the day was actually pleasant. Together they had finished up with the compartment and Donnie carried the water heater to his lab with Dennis following behind. Donnie wouldn't let him close when he was welding the pieces together, but other than that he let Dennis help with every piece. He answered any questions thrown his way from Dennis, explaining why this went there and what that did and how this thing fixes that part. Dennis turned out to be a quick learner and knew when to stay out of the way and when to ask questions. The task took longer than Donnie had anticipated, but he enjoyed himself. And Dennis had a grin on his face every time Donnie handed him a tool. More often than not Donnie had to guide him, with his large hand over the boy's, as the water heater started to actually resemble one again instead of a pile of twisted metal.

The sun was starting it's evening descent by the time Donnie slid the good as new water heater back into it's compartment and hooked the lines back up and then they waited while it filled back up with water. "Well, kiddo, let's see if we did it." Donnie smiled at Dennis before reaching in to light the pilot light. It lit up easily and soon he heard the heating element kick on.

"It works!" Dennis had a big grin on his face. "We fixed it!"

"Yes we did." Donnie closed the newly repaired door back. "Now, go get you helicopter and lets take a look at it."

His eyes grew wide. "Oh! I forgot!" He quickly ran to where he had left it and came running back with it.

Donnie looked it over real quick. It was one of those remote controlled ones and when he tried to turn it on the main propeller wouldn't turn. He walked back over to the table and sat down at it, with Dennis pulling up another chair next to him. "Your motor went out that spins the propeller." Donnie told him as he pulled out a small took kit. "Should be an easy fix."

He pushed the small kit to Dennis who opened it up and looked inside. "Wow...look at these little tools! That's neat!" He pulled out a small screw driver.

"It's not always the big things that break and little things need little tools." Donnie winked at him. "Now that screwdriver you have in your hand should fit the screw right here." He watched as Dennis carefully removed the screw, then guided him through the repairs. Again Dennis listened to his instructions with care and Donnie let him do the actual repairs, only taking over if Dennis got confused or if delicate work was needed.

By the time the sun was setting Dennis was happily flying his copter around and Donnie looked on with a smile as the little boy sent it zipping through the air. The kid had that thing going all over the place. After a few test flights, Dennis landed it and turned to Donnie and wrapped his arms around the turtle's waist. "Thank you Donnie! You are awesome!"

Donnie wasn't sure exactly what to say to that but Dennis didn't give him the time to answer as he went back to flying his toy around.

"So, you corrupting my boy now with your bad habits?" Vicky asked as she came up behind him.

"No, why?"

She smiled at him. "Because I tried numerous times today to get you two to stop working long enough to at least eat something."

He blinked at her...he hadn't even noticed.

She laughed at his look just as Leo was coming out the door with a couple of plates. He walked over and set them onto the patio table. "It seems to me you might have found yourself an apprentice." Leo then grinned at Donnie.

"Kid has got potential." Donnie admitted.

"Potential I'm sure you are going to encourage." Vicky chuckled before she called her son to come eat. "You sit down and eat too." She then bullied him.

"Yes ma'am." Donnie had to admit he was hungry.

Dennis then came up, carefully placing the helicopter on the table before sitting next to Donnie at the table. They happily chatted as the sun kept lowering to the horizon, the fiery orange hues sparkling off of the metal of the toy that had set something into motion. Something that would eventually grow. Donnie smiled down at the boy next to him, maybe it was a good thing he got stuck fixing the water heater today after all.


	5. The Icky Bug

***Author's note: I fully blame Autobot AfterShock for putting this idea in my head...**

It had been a rough couple of days, and I mean rough. You would think that with the mutagen in their system that it would stomp all over any icky bug they came across. Nope, not true at all. I was about to pull my hair out in frustration as all four turtles got sick...all at once.

A simple little bug that Amy had brought home from school had them all laid out. And after a day or two of this, I was ready to go out and take on Bishop...

Cris looked like she was about to take up her Hanbo and use it herself she was so annoyed. There was one problem with that idea though, Raph was laying on the couch with a fever and had her laying ontop of him, and wouldn't let her get up. Everytime she tried his arms would tighten and she flopped right back down against him.

"Damn it Raph!" She snapped at him. "I do have other things I need to do!"

"But I don't want you to get up." He whined in his stuffy nosed voice. "I want you to stay here with me."

She just rolled her eyes and sighed, nothing else she really could do. Raph may be sick, but he still had the strength to easily keep her there.

Mikey was the one grating on my nerves. "Vicky! Can you make me some chicken soup?" He asked from the other end of the wrap around couch.

"I just made you some."

"I want some more. And a comic book...can someone get me a comic book?"

"There is one on the coffee table in front of you."

He brought out an arm to reach for it, but fell a few inches short. "I can't reach it."

Holding back a whole cascade of unpleasant thing that wanted to come rolling out of my mouth, I walked over to said coffee table, picked it up, and threw it at him. Then I turned to go to bathroom to get a new washcloth for Leo who was passed out in the recliner.

"Um...you forgot to give me the remote..."

I spun back around and glared at the innocent eyed youngest brother before I grabbed the remote and threw that at him too, hitting him upside the head.

"Raph I need to get up!" Cris snapped again.

"No, you're my snuggle bear and you're not getting up."

She groaned as her head dropped to his plastron.

I made my way to the bathroom finally get Leo a cool washcloth and came back with it and sat gently on the recliner arm as he slept on. He had the worse fever out of all of them and he wasn't resting easy either. I frowned slightly as I placed the cool cloth on his head.

It was about then Marina was dragging Donnie out of the lab, her face more than a little annoyed. "You are not going to die." She firmly told him, I got the feeling that wasn't the first time she's tried to tell him that.

"It's malaria." He told her. "I just know it. Fever indicates that it could be malaria."

"You have the flu."

He let out a hacking cough. "Ebola, it could be ebola...chest pain and coughing is a sure symptom of ebola..."

"It's. The. Flu." She told him through clenched teeth as she almost shoved him into the other recliner.

"Bubonic plague..."

"FLU!" She snapped as she threw a pillow at him.

"Can I _please_ have some chicken soup?" Mikey asked again.

Cris was trying to quietly slip out of a sleeping Raph's arms, only to be pulled against him again. Apparently he wasn't sleeping after all. "Raph!"

"Nuh uh. You're staying right here."

This time I rolled my eyes as I went to go get Mikey's soup so he would shut to fuck up for five seconds.

"Anthrax!" I heard as I walked. "We've got anthrax!"

(Smack) "It's the flu you moron!"

I made it into the kitchen and warmed up another bowl of soup for Mikey, taking as long as I could to do it. I was in no hurry really to go back out there. Mainly because I was on the verge of killing them. I walked back out of the kitchen to see that Cris had finally managed to slip out of Raph's arms and was just turning to walk away, when his hand lashed out, grabbed her by the back of her shirt and down she went again. I shook my head as I walked to Mikey, then handed his soup to him.

"It's too hot." He whined. "Can you blow on it for me?"

"Eat it." I told him flatly. "Or you're going to end up wearing it."

"But it's hot!"

"Mikey!"

"Food poisoning!" Donnie guessed again. "We ate take out at Kevin's diner the other day! I knew we shouldn't have gotten food from there, that place has bad reviews."

"Oh good lord." Marina sighed.

"It was those tuna omelettes! I know it was!"

I think Marina gave up by that point, she just shook her head and walked away.

"A little help here?" Cris finally asked me from where she was stuck against Raph.

I sighed again as I walked over to her and carefully lifted the arm off of her. I tried to anyway. Arm snapped back down after only a few inches of being lifted. "No, I don't want her to go."

"Raph! Let her up or I'll knock you out with my damn asp!"

"But I want her to stay here with me." He whined.

"I have to pee you dolt!" Cris flared at him.

"But you'll come right back though, right?" The puppy dog eyed look he gave her, cut through her irritation.

"Yes, you big baby. I'll be right back."

Caitlin walked in then from the portal where she had taken the kids to my parents. "Caitlin! Come blow on my soup! It's to hot."

"You blow on it."

"You can do it better than me." Again out came the puppy eyes.

She laughed as she walked over to him.

Leo groaned a little in his sleep and I walked over to him with a frown. A frown that turned even deeper when I noticed the mustache, goatee and glasses drawn in sharpie on his face. I slowly turned my head to Mikey, who had frozen to watch me with the spoon inches from his mouth as he was about to take a bite. With the bowl in his hand he really couldn't dodge the pillow that came flying his way, narrowly missing Caitlin, from where I was standing. I stormed off, mumbling to myself as I went to go find something to go clean Leo's face.

It went on like that for hours and by the time we finally got the kids in bed that night, the guys were all sleeping finally. I tiredly leaned on the kitchen doorframe and watched them as they slept. Even after the day we just had, I smiled. Wasn't often that we were the ones taking care of them.

Cris was stuck in Raph's arms again, sleeping herself, and Caitlin and Marina I had bullied to go to bed once these big babies were asleep. I was the only one up to enjoy the quiet now.

Leo groaned in his sleep again as his head moved and I walked over and placed a new cloth on his head. His fever had dropped over the course of the day but he was still warmer than he should be. I tiredly sat on the floor next to the recliner and rested my back against it, leaning my head against the armrest. I was on the verge of falling asleep myself when I felt a hand run gently through my hair and I tiredly turned around to see him sleepily watching me. "Thank you dear one." His own voice suffering from his stuffy nose. "For everything. I know these few days haven't been easy."

"It's fine Leo. No one is pleasant when they get sick. Brings out the baby in all of us."

"Speaking of baby, can I get some soup please?"

I just nodded as I stood up and went back into the kitchen and came back with a bowl. He quietly ate and when he was done he settled back down to sleep. I covered him back up before taking his empty bowl back into the kitchen. I just happened to look over at Mikey and tried not to wake the others with my laughter. This time the prankster got pranked as his face sported the same decorations Leo's did earlier. "Teach him to facepaint me." Leo mumbled before he drifted off. I lost it.


	6. Raph Meets His Match

"Now that I don't think I would have believed if I wasn't here seeing it." Leo told Raph, Mikey and I as we leaned against the fairly new fence, looking into the paddock that was just put up recently. Gramps had finally gotten everything he needed together and had bullied us all into building a new barn that housed his goats...and the pain in the ass black creature that Cris called a horse. Cris actually helped out alot with that project. Figured that since Cris spent all of her time here anyway she might as well bring the big boy over here and Cris sold off some of her acreage to help with the construction effort. The result was one very large barn and half of it was given to the horse along with the new paddock. Dad even fenced off a large portion of land just for him...though he seemed happier if he had some goat companions to hang out with.

Cris did tend to baby him a lot. She loved the large nut and right now we were watching as she led Beast around with Thane on his back. The little turtle was laughing and grinning and Beast really wasn't living up to his name...for once. He loved the kids but us adults were fair game to his antics. Dad was about the only one beside Cris who he actually loved. Probably because Dad knows how to handle a temperamental horse like that and was the only one brave enough to go deal with him if Cris was unavailable, which happens in our line of...how should I put this...expertise?

Today the rest of us were just kind of hanging out as she led him around, watching with amusement at Thane's happy chirps of "Faster howrsie! Faster!" while he was bouncing in the saddle. "Go! Go! Go!" The three year old was immensely enjoying the fact that Beast was now living here and would always run to the barn or paddock to go see him when we brought the kids out to play. And if Beast heard us coming he would always meet us at the fence, head already stretched out over it and down as far as it could go to greet his little playmates. It didn't take Cris much convincing on their part to plop them onto his back and walk them around. Beast didn't seem to mind either. For such a big ass he was surprisingly gentle with them.

"If that big salami factory dumps my kid on the ground..." Raph grumbled from next to us.

"Oh hush." I told him, rolling my eyes. "Don't you think if he wanted too he would have done it by now?"

He just grunted in reply as he kept an untrusting eye on the big horse.

Leo gave him an amused look but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Alright kiddo." Cris was saying to Thane as she helped him down. "I think that's enough for one day."

"Aw... But Mommy! I wants to ride more! Beast a good howrsie!"

Raph just snorted at that. Beast heard it and turned his head towards the sound, giving Raph an evil eye.

Cris missed it all as she put her son down. "You can ride some more tomorrow."

Thane crossed his arms and pouted, his lower lip almost out far enough to touch his nose. Beast brightened the mood again when he brought his head down and sniffed the boy, then snorted on him causing Thane to burst out in a giggle fit from the air tickling his skin. Raph hopped the fence to go get him. "Why the kids love that thing I'll never understand." He told Cris as he moved closer.

She was just about to answer him when Beast beat her to it. Now...Raph should really have known by now to not walk up behind a horse, any horse but especially this one, and Beast promptly reminded him why that was such a bad idea when his rear end did a little hop, both of his hind legs kicked out, and Raph went flying in the air before hitting the ground in front of the fence.

"You stupid mule!" Raph roared as he got up and the horse just snorted at him with a dismissive flick of his tail, then gave Cris the saddest look possible.

"See, now you upset him." She told Raph as she stroked the horse's long nose, and in doing so missed the look Beast gave Raph. Raph looked up from the dirt and caught that look, that seemed to have a lot of amusement in it. "The damn thing is laughing at me!" He yelled as he got up. Cris just ignored him as she kept petting Beast.

Raph just grumbled as he moved carefully closer to go get Thane. By now Leo, Mikey and I were trying really hard not to laugh. We almost lost that fight when Beast shifted his weight and promptly stomped on Raph's foot.

"Ow! God dammit!" Came the predictable outburst.

"Hey Raph...you're getting your ass kicked by a horse!" Mikey howled finally. He was laughing so hard he actually fell off of the top of the fence from where he was sitting.

"I swear woman, that horse hates me!" Raph grumbled at Cris.

"Don't be ridiculous Raph, you're just jealous."

"Of what? That walking fertilizer plant?"

Beast was giving us all that wide eyed "what?" look. I swear...this horse was doing this shit on purpose... It was funny as hell though.

Cris just rolled her eyes as she turned the horse and led him towards the barn to unsaddle him, and as Beast turned he managed to do so at the right angle to where his long tail flicked across Raph's face with a good swish. Raph just glared at the horse while the rest of us were trying to stifle our laughter. He picked his son up and he walked towards us, grumbling with every step. Then he glared at the horse as he put Thane down on the other side of the fence, watching as Beast kept rubbing his his head against Cris' back, making her stumble more than a few times and her laughter rang across the field. Beast returned that laughter with happy snorts of his own.

Raph was still grumbling under his breath after Cris turned Beast out to graze, then came to get Thane to take him inside for a well needed nap. We were all still by the fence, watching the horse graze alongside his little goat buddies as the kids romped around nearby.

"Dude, I seriously can't believe you are jealous of a horse." Mikey suddenly grinned. "That is sooooo pathetic."

"I am _not_!"

"Looks that way to me."

"Yeah? Well keep looking and you just might see my fist coming for your face if you don't shut the hell up."

"You know..." Leo grinned at Raph as he laid an arm around my shoulders. "I think Mikey and Cris are right. You _are_ jealous of the attention he's been getting lately."

Raph just gave him a flat stare in return and I had to hide my face in Leo's chest to keep him from seeing me laugh. Leo just returned his glare with an impish grin.

"That is just stupid. Being jealous of an animal." Raph told us all again. "He's just a dumb horse anyway." Beast just got himself a mouthful of grass before he lifted his head up to look at us again, calmly chewing. "Besides," Raph continued, "he ain't half the man I am, we know who's got the woman and who ain't. So you just sit there an chew that grass Mr Ed. You ain't half the man I am."

Still watching Raph, Beast turned his body to the side, still chewing, and showed Raph exactly how much of a stud he actually was by showing off a certain part of his anatomy. Leo and Mikey's eyes got big as saucers as Beast dropped all four feet of his manhood down. Raph's jaw came real close to hitting the ground. "Should have had him gelded..." Raph mumbled as he turned and stomped away.

We couldn't hold it in anymore and we all lost it, laughing so hard tears were streaming down our faces as Raph stomped on. And it really didn't help that Beast watched him go, then let out a long, triumphant whinny at the retreating turtle's back.


	7. Vicky's Open Letter

There was a time before the turtles. A time where I didn't have a house full of ninjas running around driving me nuts. A time when training didn't take up a large part of my life. There was a time when I wasn't constantly surrounded by my large and strange family. There was a time I was alone at night in my room, crying myself to sleep, if I even did sleep. There was a time when I was alone, and felt so lonely.

I know I've hinted at it before but I don't think anyone can truly understand unless I lay it out better. Honestly I don't think a lot of folks out there can really understand this, and those who do more than likely do so because they've been there, they know this feeling intimately because they've lived it.

I've shared a lot of adventures with all of you. My fears, my worries. Facing new threats and old ones with the guys and blundering through one mishap to the next, always trying to save the situation with our skills, brains, wits and jokes. I've even honestly shared my past. And I can say out of all of this, the thing that was hardest for me to beat was the looming cloud of doom that was starting to cloud my vision right before that fateful lighting bolt hit.

I also know what some of you are thinking. What is she complaining about? Her family is nearby, Mandi was there too. There was no reason to feel alone, there was always someone there to talk too. Some of you may even be thinking god, what is she whining about? Just suck it up already and deal with it. It's not that easy. I wish it were, but it's not. Even with those I love close by, I still felt that sense of...emptiness. Hopelessness. Neglected. Unwanted. I put my heart into things and get crushed emotionally when all I get is a hey, that's cool. Projects I can't complete, for one reason or another, is something else that would seriously knock me off of my emotional rocker. I try to keep from thinking this way, but it always seemed that anything that would even remotely bring me a tiny bit of joy, or help my little family's living quality...would always blow up in my face. Yeah, some of your whine detectors are blaring...am I right? It does sound whiny from the outside looking in. But there is the other side you don't see.

You don't see how bad it tears up someone inside. You try to reach out, and no one understands. I never asked for pity, but I do search for a way to fight past those barriers by writing, drawing (even as crappy as they are) and other things. Hell, I'll be honest, I get down right needy. Annoying. Repetitive because I'm so unsure the compliments are actually meant the way they are given. If I'm working with someone on something and they can't do their end of the project, I'm not sure if it's because they are actually busy, or if I'm getting on their nerves too much and they just avoid doing it. And I usually assume it's the second reason because I'm so unsure of myself that I do pester the hell out of them. Even though I know they are busy with their own lives, that feeling of they just don't want to interact with me prevails. The end result is I shut everyone out, even close friends like Mandi. She lives right down the road but there have been times when I would go months without talking to her, just because I don't want to bother her in her busy life. She'd always welcome me back with open arms when I do snap myself out of those phases, but what do you do when those phases happen more and more and get longer with time? Have you ever been so disappointed with your world that you never leave your own house? Unless you absolutely had too? Have you been so broken down from your life that every little thing that doesn't go as planned becomes a personal affront to you? Even something as simple as a text being ignored or just simply overlooked? Projects you've spent sleepless nights on, barely get glimpsed at and it just crushes your high hopes. You show them proudly off to anyone who will look, and they seem to barely acknowledge it. It's like someone letting the air out of your inflatable life preserver you need to stay afloat. It destroys your will to even try anything new anymore. You give up before you even start and it rips your confidence to shreds. And suddenly you find yourself sitting at your computer in tears...and you really can't explain why because it's so many things going on, not necessarily at the same time either. You're not sure if it's the latest perceived failure or the wrenching feelings of loneliness that is causing the flood to flow this time. And that is the scariest part for me, you don't even really know why you are even crying.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say. I'm not saying everything should and will go right the first time or you get the results right away. A lot of things take time, patience, effort and a shit load of trial and error. Most folks understand that, hell I understand that. Doesn't change the fact that is how I felt about it though. And the end result was self inflicted isolation. I felt no one understood me, no one cared. No one would even take a moment to try and see things from my point of view. This isn't a good situation to be in folks, because what I'm describing here in these rambling words, or trying too anyway...is my version of mental hell, my depression. So yes, I'd lock everyone out of my life, then sit in misery in my hermit like state. I'd cry most nights, I didn't want to do shit, not even keep the house clean and laundry kept up. I only did what I had to do to make sure we all were fed and clothed...and that was it. Mother of the year material? Probably not. Did I want to be this way? No. Go to the doctor and get meds! Two problems with that theory, from a distorted mental point of view. One, I suck at taking medicine. Shit, I couldn't even remember to take birth control pills when I was supposed too...and you think I'll do better with prescription meds? Two...I'd actually have to go out and admit that I need help, and that was more terrifying than actually trying to deal with this on my own. What if the Ex found out? Would he try and take the kids because I was a nut job? What would others think of me? I was fucked up enough already with the rest of the shit I dealt with in my thirty plus years...do I really want to add this on there too?

There is no easy answer to any of these issues, each person deals with them in their own way. Some go the medicated/therapy route and there are those who suffer quietly. I'm one of those quiet sufferers. So quiet in fact that when I do reach out, it is an act of desperation, a last chance before I fell over into that black pit of despair. Silently begging someone to pull me back from that brink before I collapsed into a pile of lethargic, sobbing don't give a shit sobbing lump of flesh. And I have had a few of those meltdowns. By the time anyone actually notices that, it's already too late and another chunk of confidence has just been wept away making the next pit so much easier to fall in.

Even as I tell you this, my personal savior is near. Leo is there, always will be. He is my therapy. Every time I feel lost, alone, I pull him close to me and take comfort in the fact he is there and I can move on. I guess you could say I'm still a hermit, I don't go out much in my home world still, but in their world I see things you never would even imagine. I've grown close to my turtles and my mood brightens when they are around. Leo and his brothers is probably the best therapy I could ever ask for, and I don't think they know it really. Well, Leo does, but that's a given.

I honestly don't know why I decided to share this. Probably for the same reason I've shared so many other things. Someone out there may be feeling the same things and take some kind of comfort from the fact they aren't the only one. I've found a way to deal with it, for the most part. I still have moments but I hope that you can find your own Leo, whatever form he may come in, and find the strength you need from him. And I guess I hope that those who I let close to me will read this and understand me a bit better. I'm really not a crazy nut job...I hope anyway. Just a person trying to make her way in a world that seems at times to do it's best to make you fall. Just find that support to hold you and you won't, no matter how bad it tries.


	8. Bad Day

I was irritable. What made it so bad was the fact that I couldn't really place a finger on why. I was just crabby as all get out.

I was on my own that night, struggling to deal with my four kids. The twins were about six weeks old at that point and Dennis and Amy were giving me hell of a time getting ready for bed. I was tired, frustrated, overwhelmed and just all around ready to pull out my hair and hang myself with it, it was long enough by that point. Cris wasn't even there as I struggled to get a wet soapy little girl dried off and in pajamas while I had crying going on in stereo in my bedroom as the twins let their hunger be known. Dennis was playing "Hey! Let's jump off of the couch fifty million times and screw the fact that Mommy said knock it off for just about as many". I sighed in frustration as I shooed Amy, now wrapped into a towel, to her room to get pajamas on. Then I walked into the concert going on in my room and tried to figure out how in the hell I was going to feed them both at the same time. Normally I would feed one while Leo gave the other Donnie's special mix. I really wasn't brave enough to try and breast feed them both yet. Was too scared I'd drop one. Not to mention it's hard to do double duty when you got two other kiddos still stomping around. For me anyway. How other mothers did it I had no fucking clue...

I pulled them both out of the crib in my room, one by one, and placed them onto the bed. I already had a couple of bottles ready, that much I had managed to do. I put Lavi in my lap then did something a lot of mothers would probably yell at me for, I propped up a bottle for Ty on the pillow next to me and let him eat that way. I admit it, I was desperate. At least I was able to get them to eat now.

"Mommy! I can't find clean jammies!" Came the complaint from Amy's room and I sighed again.

"Look in your drawer!" I called back, followed with "Dennis! If I hear you jump _one_ more time..."

"They ain't none in there!"

"Oh yes there is! I put some clean ones in there earlier!"

Silence, thud from the living room, then "Oh! I found dem Mommy!" which was promptly followed by Lavi spitting up all over me, and my bed. Guess she had enough. I burped her, and she spit up some more just as Amy came into my room, with her pajamas on inside out and backwards. Another thud from the living room. Would it be ok if I screamed?

I cleaned off Lavi as best I could and put her back into the crib before picking up Ty so I could hold his bottle for him, then tried to help Amy get her pajamas on straight. Once that had been accomplished I stomped up front, still feeding Ty, and glared at Dennis who I caught red handed in the middle of a jump. "Bed, now."

"But Mommy!" They both whined.

" _Now_!" By then my patience was pretty much all used up.

They both stomped off to their rooms, with mumblings of "Mean Mommy..." trailing behind them. You have no idea how hard I bit my tongue...

It was a couple of hours, and about twenty "I'm thirsty, I gotta got to the bathroom" runs, three diaper changes and one more spit up mess, before they all calmed down enough to go to sleep. I was about to check myself into the nearest nuthouse.

This was pretty much the first time I had been completely on my own with all four of them and I can honestly admit...they whooped my ass. The others had all gone out on an alarm call earlier, and they sure as hell were taking their time getting back. And my folks weren't home tonight, taking a rare weekend trip and Jim was out doing...something. Probably hiding if he knew what was good for him.

I was more than a little snippy when Leo finally came home, I couldn't sleep and was up, washing bottles that had seemed to pile up again in just a few short hours. Didn't I just do this? And laundry... Laundry was never ending... But to be honest, that really wasn't the only reason I was in a pissy mood when he made his appearance, the kids just added to the pissyness already there.

"I'm home." He so kindly notified me as he walked in from the hallway.

"Yay." I replied flatly, slamming a bottle into the dish rack by the sink.

He stepped into the kitchen. "Rough night?" He asked his blue eyes watching me.

"Nope, not at all." Slam went another bottle.

He braved the storm and moved closer and began to help me. Taking the bottles from me after I washed them before I broke one. "Got the kids in bed ok?"

"Yup." I dunked another bottle in the hot water, hard enough to splash us both.

He didn't say anything else, but he did watch me from the corner of his eye and the rest of the bottles were cleaned in silence. And not a one of them was broken. He then handed me a dishtowel that I took from him with a short mumbled thanks. His eyes had a thoughtful look in them as he still just quietly watched me. I just ignored him and went to tackle the pile of laundry I had just pulled out of the dryer and was now sitting in a basket by the couch, waiting to be folded. I was mumbling a whole bunch of things as I started on that task, none of them really pleasant.

Leo just followed me into the living room, silent as a shadow. He unstrapped his katanas and leaned them against the wall next to my computer in an out of the way spot, and a spot that was on the other side of the room from me. Wise decision. I was in the process of folding one of the baby blankets when the lights went out on me.

"What the hell!" I snapped. I tried to spin around to give him the matching glare, but he was already there, his arms around me and his warm breath on my neck as he brought his head down to nibble on my ear.

"Listen here you! If you think you can just walk in here and get some after the day that I-" My voice cut out in a squeak as he slipped a hand in between my legs and pushed his finger, hard, against a certain spot. My protest quit before it even started as I slammed against him, my head now leaning on his shoulder.

"Who said anything about me getting anything?" He calmly told me. "I'm not the one in need of a stress relief."

My eyes closed and a whimper escaped my mouth as what he was doing caught all of my attention. "L-leo..." I somehow managed to stammer out.

"Hmmm?" His face was next to mine and I could feel the hum of his voice. Lord...even that sent a shock through me.

"N-not...here...kids..."

"Are all sleeping." He replied, his head still next to mine and his finger still rubbing.

By now I was squirming against him. Any measly protest was quickly washed away and I turned my head to face him, bringing an arm up and placed my hand behind his head, and pushed him closer. Our lips met in a kiss that started off soft, but quickly heated up. His hand never let up and it quickly reached the point where my legs just straight up gave out on me. Didn't phase him a bit as he guided me to the floor, still holding me to him. I sat here, a wriggling pile of flesh, my breathing growing heavier and harder as that finger still worked on me.

"Leo...ngh...god Leo!" God this was feeling so damn good...

"Shhh, dear one." He murmured, but he didn't let up. I bit my lip but I honestly wasn't sure if that was going to help or not.

My eyes were now clenched shut as my head pressed against his shoulder and my groin was by now pushing against his hand. The whimpers grew in intensity to the point where he just solved that problem by kissing me again. Still he persisted, refused to let up. My body pressed against him even harder as I came, his mouth muffling the soft cry that took the place of the needy whimpers. I kissed him hard as my body shook in his firm grip.

Finally I just collapsed against him, breathing heavily, head rolling listlessly on his shoulder as I struggled to get my wits about me again. With a last, gentle rub on that now sensitive clit, that made me gasp and twitch a little, he brought his hand back out and it joined his other one around my waist as I sat there next to him.

"See? Now that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

I didn't have it in me to talk, but I did manage a small smile. And I did have to admit, the irritation that had been bothering me for most of the day was pretty much gone now.

He gave me a small, knowing smile in return before he kissed my hair. Then he picked me up and carried me to the couch where we just sat together in the quiet, dark room. It wasn't long before I started to nod off.

"Ready for bed?" He asked as he stroked my hair with his hand.

"No." I mumbled through a large yawn.

"Looks like you are to me." He chuckled.

"Twins spat up all over the bed." I grumbled, my eyes drooping shut. "Didn't...have time to...remake it yet..." I was seriously struggling to stay awake now.

"Ah..." Leo just did the next best thing. He shifted around on the couch to where he was leaning up against the armrest and squarely placed me on top of him. Then reached up for the blanket I usually kept on the back of the couch and covered us up with it. "Well, it'll just have to wait until tomorrow then."

I just nodded once before I settled down. My moodiness now gone and his comforting presence helping me to do so. I just had a quick moment to hope the twins would sleep awhile before I passed the fuck out.


	9. Demons

**Author's note: Now...my stories have prompted me to make videos. Got lots of ideas for videos. But this oneshot is a bit different. I made my video "Brother" (got the link posted in my profile if you're interested, or just look up Selfless Leolover on Youtube) and now this was stuck in my head. To be honest I had the idea before, even wrote it out way back during the Hun scene of "Realities Collide", but lost it when my computer crashed. Making the video brought it back to mind. So I figured I'd try to write it again.**

Demons Vicky calls them. I never thought of thinking of them like that, but I guess the phrase does kind of fit. Snapping, snarling monsters inside of you that refuse to let you be. We all have our demons, things hidden away that we don't want others to see. You try to hide them, even from yourself. That is not always possible however.

I am seen as the leader of this family. The quick thinker, the planner, the one who comes up with the answers. I have dedicated my life to the task that has been given to me and I do try to do the best I can. But sometimes even I fail. Vicky sees me as her anchor, her strong support in her crazy life. Our crazy life. But I have had my own experiences that haunt me.

Time and time again I have thrown myself out there, calmly, for the most part, guiding my family through whatever obstacle we are currently facing. To most I seem cool, calm, collected. Not easily phased or shaken. I fear nothing.

That is not true.

I do fear and the largest one I have is the fear of failing. Because failure means I might lose someone I care deeply for. Not necessarily by them losing their life, though that fear is always in the forefront, but in any way.

I have met that head on, and I lost. Father had died. The most important individual to all of us, the glue that kept us together, was gone. And it tore us apart. Words can not describe the pain someone feels from losing a loved one, and he had been very loved by all of us. No matter how hard things got, he was always there with wise words, a calming influence and boundless love. He guided us, taught us and beated the concept of family and brotherhood so deep into us that it became who we were. I'm sure if Donnie looked hard enough at our DNA strands, he would find the scars from Father's walking stick engrained in there somewhere.

Now that the firm foundation we stood on wasn't there and we fell...hard.

Raph's temper flared out of control, to the point he was lashing blindly out at anyone who came too close to him. Many times for no reason at all. Mikey drew within himself and rarely came out of his room while Donnie hunkered down in the lab, furiously scanning over his computers, trying to find some kind of answer. There were none.

I also felt that loss heavily, mainly because it was now up to me alone to try and help them through this, and I couldn't even help myself. I was just as devastated as they were and couldn't clear it to help them, though I did try.

The pain I felt when I reached out to them, only to be pushed away just added to my grief. My attempts to draw Mikey out with anything I could think of, pizza, comic books, even his ridiculous video games all were met with sad, dead eyes before he would just roll back over onto his side and stare at the wall that had become his object of focus. Everytime I retreated from that I could feel the hole ripping open even more into my chest.

Donnie didn't even notice my attempts. Even as he huddled over his computers, researching anything he could get his hands on. He was furious that it had happened, and felt guilty that it did. He was our Mr. Fix It and our healer. The fact that he couldn't fix that last, final, ending to us all frustrated him to no end and he took it as a personal affront that it had happened. He refused to let it happen again and ignored everything around him as he tried to solve this unsolvable puzzle. He lost weight, didn't sleep and I couldn't tell you the last time he took a shower in those days. The only thing that concerned him was that Father had died...and death had slipped right by him. The hole grew again.

Raph. He has a reputation of not being able to feel. It's quite the opposite actually. He can feel, as I'm sure Cris can assure you, but he does it in wild extremes when he does. He can go from white hot anger to being moved to tears by a kiss on the cheek from his son. But his default emotion has always been anger. It was the one that came to him the quickest, and it was the one that came when we found out we were on our own.

Usually it was Father who calmed that unpredictable storm, and he wasn't here to do it this time. And I wasn't my Father. Raph took it hard, so hard that he began tearing up furniture and anything else that got in his way. Even an unsuspecting Mikey as he walked by. Of course I tried to stop it and actually did managed to get our little brother out of the way of that sai as it came down. But the blow that had been meant for the smallest ended up hitting me. I was able to deflect most of it but the weapon still opened up a large gash on my arm before he got another hit in and knocked me to the floor. The uncontrollable rage in his eyes actually scared me for the first time in my life as I laid there with his weapon over me.

He caught himself, eyes growing wide as he realized what he did, before he turned and stormed out of the lair...and didn't come back. The hole grew to the point that my heart broke. None of them...I couldn't help a single one of my brothers. I had failed them.

Somehow I pulled myself together enough to try again, and kept trying. Again I tried to pull Mikey out of his bed, Donnie out of his lab. I even went out almost every night to find the still missing Raph. And my luck was not with me during any of those attempts. I just couldn't reach the two at home and I couldn't even _find_ Raph.

It had been a few weeks now, and I was once again out in the city rooftops. But I was at the end of my endurance, mentally and physically. I was scared of what was happening, worried for my brothers and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. The calm leader...broke.

I had just hit another rooftop, stumbled and hit the ground in a painful roll and with that misstep everything shut down. My will to keep doing this just vanished. I had lost hope that I would ever be able to find Raph, or be able to help Donnie and Mikey. And I was having this breakdown on my knees on a rooftop as I held back the tears.

I was in no condition to be out there, and someone took advantage of it. A net flew over me and in my own weakened state I couldn't fight it off. I was quickly restrained, disarmed and drug away. Even as this all went on, the only thing I could think of was how much I had failed. I wasn't worried about my life, I was worried about the lives my brothers were leading and how all of them needed me...and I could do nothing. Maybe they were better off without me, because I was a failure.

.

.

Rage is the one thing most fear from me, those who are dumb enough to piss me off do anyway...except Mikey. Mikey just never learns...

I guess if you flip out as often as I do, the hothead label does fit. I wish sometimes, ok a lot, that I didn't blow my stack so much. That I could be calm like Leo, or happy go lucky like Mikey has crossed my mind many times. Yes...I want to be like Mikey, I admitted it, now shut the fuck up and quit laughing before I knock your teeth in.

I was used to these flare up and so was my family. It had become just as commonplace as Mikey's pranks or Leo's meditating. It was a small part of who we were as a whole. Over time I even managed to use my anger to help. Lost count how many times my temper gave me the strength to break in, out or through something. It was hard to control at times, yes, but I had found a way to use it to our advantage.

All of you know the young me. Thanks to those silly ass cartoons and movies you watch. Yeah...Vicky and Cris told us all about those. But surprisingly, they actually come close to the truth...if you were talking about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I did lose my cool quite a bit, I stormed off when I was pissed and I did smack Mikey a lot...still do that even as an Adult Mutant Ninja Turtle. By the time I reached Adulthood, Father had finally helped me find that place to where I could work around my anger, shut it out if it was in my way and use it if I needed it. I still got hot under the collar a lot, but it was easier for me to handle.

Until the day Father died. Everything we had spent years working on was thrown out the window with the realization that he was gone and he wasn't coming back. That anger came raging out of that closet I kept it in with a vengeance and it wanted to catch up on all the times it missed. Only way I can describe it really. I'm not exaggerating the slightest when I tell you that I was so blacked out from it that those first few days were...blurry to me. The first thing I do remember clearly was Leo lying on the floor, bleeding from his arm and Mikey lying not far away, both of them looking up at me with fear. It was about then I noticed the blood on my weapon.

I hated myself so much at that moment. I had lost everything Father had taught me to keep this from happening...and it happened.

I'm not stupid, despite what you think about the big muscles, small brain stereotype. But I know I'm big, I know if I don't control my temper I could serious hurt, or kill, someone. And that someone could very well be one of my brothers. The guilt I felt at losing the most important lesson my Father has ever tried to teach me hit hard as I looked upon _why_ he was trying to teach it to me. Another emotion took hold then, fear. I was scared of myself, scared of what I could do to them.

I did the only other thing I knew how to do. Instead of facing the problem, I ran from it. I ran out of my home and didn't look back. In my eyes I had did something unforgivable and I couldn't stay there anymore, out of fear of doing it again. And I didn't come home this time once I calmed down. This time I had gone too far to go back.

The thing most don't see out of me was the thing that kept me from my home. Emotions. Anger caused it and fear kept me away. I was determined to stay away from them. I couldn't control myself any more and they would be the ones to suffer.

I knew my departure wasn't wanted by at least one individual, because I saw him more than a few times out looking for me. Almost every night he came out, desperately searching for me. But I wasn't going to go back home. I knew he was worried, just because I know Leo. I wanted so much to step out of the shadows to talk to him. To try and explain to him why I was doing this, but I was too scared I'd hurt him again if I did. So I just stayed away, quietly watching as he came out and started again.

He was driving himself in the ground, even I could see that. I never saw the other two...but he was out almost like clockwork. It dawned on me the others didn't come out because they were unable too for some reason which meant they were still in their own pits of hell they had slipped into. So...not only was he out here looking for me, he was obviously still trying to deal with the other two. I almost broke at that point. Almost.

I turned away instead, even as I noticed he was stumbling more that night, out of pure exhaustion. I couldn't watch anymore, something about that sight hitting me hard in the gut, and turned away.

Leo didn't come out the next night. Or the night after that. It was about then _I_ went looking for _him_. I needed those glimpses of him. I hate to admit it...but I missed my brothers and he was the only one I could lay eyes on, even if it was for short times and from a distance.

It grew later and still no sign of him. I crisscrossed those rooftops I don't know how many times. Worry gnawing on my heels to drive me on. Anger rising up in me that he seemed to just fucking give up on me and quit looking. But it was the fear that broke through when I finally, after hours of searching, found his weapons dumped carelessly on the rooftop.

As soon as I saw them, I knew something was wrong. Leo would never just leave them there like that. It went against everything that was him. He was always prepared and never would leave them if he had a choice in the matter. Which meant he didn't.

I carefully knelt down to look them over and they looked like they had been lying up here for awhile if the dirt and dust that had settled on them was any indication. More than likely the night I had turned away from him was the night he had needed me the most.

Anger, the emotion that started this whole mess for me, was coming up again. This happened because of me. If I hadn't lashed out at him, if I hadn't run off and hid like a damn coward he wouldn't be out here. He had been fighting his own pain, his own grief and yet he had tried so hard for the rest of us. I saw the attempts clearly now in my head as he tried to get Mikey to come out of his room, tried to snap Donnie out of his despair, tried to find me and bring me home. He was in the condition he had been in because he was trying to keep us together and we all pushed him away. And I knew somehow it was because he was so run down that he had been caught. Because that was the only explanation I could think of for his weapons to be lying here.

So yes, the anger came again. But this time I let it as I picked up those katanas. I needed it to push past everything else. Father's lessons came back to me in a flood and I was in full control of it as I turned and headed back to my home. I would use it, and I would use it to get my brother back.

.

.

I couldn't understand it. I just could not understand how this could have happened. Father had been as far as I could tell in perfect health...and then he was just gone. And I missed it. Somehow I had missed something and let him slip away from us.

The fact that he was old and slipped quietly away in his sleep refused to settle in my head. I firmly believed I should have seen something, anything, in the days leading up to his death. That I had missed some obvious sign that he was about to go. In other words...I refused to accept that nature had outwitted me and helped Father take that last step.

Death is a hard thing for someone like me to deal with. I spent my life fixing my brothers, spent countless hours researching so I could keep them alive if those rare situations happened where they got seriously hurt. I've learned to patch anything up from papercuts to life threatening injuries. And I prided myself on the fact that I had beaten everything that had been thrown in front of me. Until that morning Father didn't wake up.

There isn't much I can't fix, but one of the few things is death. I knew it would happen one day, we all did, but to be taken by surprise by it made it sting so much more to me. I didn't even have a warning that it was even coming.

Looking back now, I think that was the thing that bothered me the most, that it snuck in behind me and had carried Father off to the plains unknown. I refused to accept it.

My lab became my prison and my own need for answers was the jailor. I sat in that chair for days, only getting up for trips to the bathroom. My attention fully focused on what I was working on. I had pulled up Father's charts and was pouring through them, trying to find something I knew I had to have missed. Even went so far as to compare his information with others, to see if something in the human world maybe could help me figure out what happened. Why did Father die?

I knew Leo came in, brought me food and tried to pull me away. I could hear his reassurances that this wasn't my fault, this happens. I refused to listen. It _was_ my fault and this _shouldn't_ have happened! I missed something, and he died. That's how my grief filled mind handled it, and that's the thinking Leo was trying to break through. He never gave up, he would come in, take the old untouched food out and place a fresh plate down, try to talk to me, which I ignored, then he would sigh and leave.

I didn't even notice that Leo hadn't even come in to check on me as I sat mumbling in anger over my computer. My mind was still refusing to accept the fact that it was just Father's time to go. There was only one thing that snapped me out of it.

Out of the blue, two katanas came down in front of my face and slammed onto the keyboard in front of me, narrowly missing my fingers. They were so out of place there that I had to stop and lean back in my chair as I stared at those weapons.

"Leo is missing." Raph growled at me as his glare further shook me out of my stupor. "Find him. You won't look up anything unless it directly has something to do with where he is at."

"What?" My eyes blinked as I struggled to take this information in.

"You heard me. Now get your head out of your ass and find our brother!" Then he turned and stomped out of the lab.

It fully hit me as I moved the katanas out of the way so I could work, and almost knocked over the plate Leo had left for me god only knows how long ago. Even as I stubbornly refused to acknowledge him, he still came back. Still worried, still cared. And now he was missing and I hadn't even noticed...

Without another thought I cleared everything that had to do with Father off of my screens. Again determination set in to find answers, but this time I was asking another question. Where was my brother? _That_ answer I was going to find out. I owed it to him.

.

.

Never had I felt such grief, pain, hurt. It felt like someone had taken my heart and ripped it out of my chest. He was gone...Father was gone...

I didn't want to live anymore to be honest. It hurt to much.

I didn't find comfort in anything that used to bring a smile to my face. Nothing brought me joy, nothing could stop the ache that just wouldn't go away. My video games remained untouched, as did the comic books. My cool as fuck skateboard was leaned into the corner of my messy room. Once it had been a fun past time, now it was forgotten about.

Even pizza didn't rouse me from this pain filled hole I found myself in. And Leo tried that a few times. He would come into my room, that gentle smile on his face as he held the box. And I just rolled over, staring at the wall that seemed to have my attention the most in those days. I never even noticed the soft click of the door as it closed behind him as he left.

My focus was on trying to figure out how in the world I was going to move on without the person I loved the most. Never did figure that answer out, because I never tried too. All I could come up with was that I just wanted to die so I could be with him.

I didn't leave my room much. Didn't want too. All I wanted to do was lay there on that bed, holding my misery around me like a blanket. It got to the point where even the thought of getting up filled me with exhaustion. I just couldn't face what was on the other side of that door. He wouldn't be there, would never be there ever again. Never again would he train us, eat meals with us. Never would I get put in the _hashi_ because of some outrageous prank gone wrong. Wouldn't ever get a scolding, a hug or even a smile from him. He was gone.

Seemed like the only thing I did have the strength to do was cry. And that was becoming harder to do as the days drug on and I barely moved. I didn't eat, slept all the time and just didn't care about anything over all. The happy go lucky Mikey was gone. He had died to be replaced with this empty shell.

Because of that state I was in, I lost track of the days. I hadn't seen Leo for a while, but that didn't concern me enough to get up. He probably came in while I was taking one of my depression fueled naps. As quick as he came into my mind, he was gone. Replaced by the grieving self pity that filled me now.

That was stunned out of me as the door didn't open with a gentle knock and a soft call for pizza, but with a slam as it was kicked open hard enough to send the door flying across the room.

"Mikey! Get your ass up! _Now!_ "

I jumped about five feet in the air before turning to see Raph standing in the door way. I blinked a bit in shock, last I knew he had run off. He had been gone for a couple of weeks by that point.

"Why should I?" Was my self pity filled mumble as I rolled back over.

The next sound I heard was the sound of his feet stomping across the room, then he yanked me up out of the bed with enough force to give me whiplash.

"Because Leo is missing, and it's our damn fault he is!" Raph snapped, his face inches away from mine at that point. "And we are going to go find him!"

I blinked stupidly at him a moment, then nodded and he promptly dropped me on my ass in the middle of the room before he left again.

I slowly got back to my feet as I took in what he just said. Leo was missing... My big brother... Now I knew why he didn't come in the room lately and I felt like shit. I was so caught up in my own self misery that I had taken all of his attempts to cheer me up and threw them back into his face. But he was always there. Never gave up as he tried and tried again to coax me out.

A tear slipped out of my eye at that moment. I had lost my Father yes, but there was another here who loved me just as much as he did, and I had refused to see it. I wiped that tear away and took a deep breath to calm myself, my eyes falling onto my skateboard as I did.

For the first time in a while a grin found it's way onto my face as I went to go pick it up. It was time to put this baby to use. I easily flipped it over and clipped it to my back, then I ran out the door, firmly leaving my misery behind me. Father would understand. I loved him and missed him very much, but I couldn't grieve for him anymore, not when Leo needed me.

.

.

Three days I hung there. Three days of being poked, prodded and looked at like some kind of circus freak. Things had been done that I'm not even going to describe here. All I will tell you is that I got my first taste of Bishop, because he was the one who managed to catch me. Not only did I have my grief to contend with, both for my Father and for my brothers who likely would be next if I didn't get out of here, but I found the first doubts fill me. Why do I insist on helping a race who allows things like this to happen to those who are different? This was something Father had already known, and the reason behind our training. He knew it, and now I understood it.

I was close to giving up. So close to just wanting Bishop to be done with me. I knew it was going to come, there had been discussions about it. The way things were going right now, when I left this room I would end up on his dissecting table.

Loneliness was something I had never felt before, but I felt it now as I hung there, shackled to the wall. It hit me hard. I wanted nothing more than to hear one of Mikey's stupid jokes, and hear Raph tell him to shut the hell up as Donnie came racing out of the lab to show us his newest gizmo. Heck, I'd even be happy to break up a fight, listen to Raph's constant grumbling, even chuckle amused at Donnie's snorts when he gets a good laugh in. I wanted to go home...

By the evening of the third day, I was so weak by that point I couldn't even lift my head up. My arms were beyond hurting, as were my legs from not having been allowed to move. I also hurt from all the tests Bishop did, and he did quite a few of them. Still, even with every inch of me screaming to be released from this torment, my eyes snapped open as I clearly felt the building shudder around me even as the muffled boom hit my ears. Something was going on.

I strained to listen, but the sounds of the alarms in that hallway was drowning everything else out. I felt something build in me as the racket continued, a feeling I had come very close to giving up on. Still, I wasn't going to let that hope build, it may be something completely different going on than what I was suspecting.

Until I heard something that made my tired head snap up, even if it was only for a moment. "Leo!" Raph's voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you in there!"

"Raph..." My voice choked out, barely audible to me and strained from days of no water, pain and the exhaustion I felt. There was no way he could hear me. I struggled weakly against my restraints as I found it in me somewhere to try fighting again.

I may not have been heard, but they knew. That door slammed open and Raph was the one who was standing there. His amber eyes were filled with anger and worry that quickly turned to relief when he caught sight of me. It was nothing compared to what I felt, especially when the other two walked in right behind him.

They were here, and they were all fully functioning. None of them showed the struggles they had been dealing with as they crowded around me and began to unhook me. I was so confused. How did they manage? When I last saw them I was sure they were so far gone that nothing short of a miracle would bring them back.

"You're...here..." Stumbled out of my mouth as I took them all in, the shock evident on my face over the fact apparently because they all reached out an arm to comfort me, even as I collapsed from the last shackle being opened and those holds of comfort became ones of support.

"We gotcha Leo." Raph held me up so Donnie and Mikey could slip under my arms.

"Yeah bro." Mikey quietly said. "Lean on us. It's time we carried your weight."

"Past time." Donnie added as we made our way out of that room.

I still didn't fully grasp what was happening, was still trying to figure it out. They must have caught my confused look, and it really wasn't to hard to figure out. The last I knew, one was locked in his room, one was glued to a mission he'd never find the answer for and the third had walked out...what had happened?

"Leo, we may have been fucked up in the head there for a bit." Raph said as we kept moving. "But nothing will change the fact that we are brothers."

"We'll always be there for you." Donnie told me.

"Just like you're always there for us bro. We're family."

Tears sprang to my eyes as I realised that I did get through to them, just not in the way I had expected too. I had reached them, I just didn't notice it at the time. I wasn't a failure...I was a brother and it was that bond that brought them together to come here. It was that bond that pulled them from their depths, and now pulled me from mine as their presence there brought the hope back along with the will to keep fighting.

We still miss our father. That is something we probably will do until it is our time to leave this world. But in his passing he had taught us one more valuable lesson. Just because he was gone, didn't mean we didn't have another strength to fall back on. It just took us a little to figure it out. We were our greatest strength. We got on each other's nerves, pissed each other off and had more than a few of petty squabbles over the years, but once we join forces there wasn't a soul out there who could break that bond. Believe me, they have tried. And they have failed. As far as we are concerned, they will keep failing. We have all met our demons, faced them and beat them, these guys don't stand a chance


	10. My First Totally Turtly Birthday

It was that time of year again. The time that everyone always seemed to forget about, mainly because I never advertise it or really expect to get anything out of it. Not that I really cared. By that point it was just another day to me, never really asked for anything and wasn't disappointed if I ended up empty handed. Too much. I'm talking about my birthday.

I never really did have much, even as a kid. So I never fell into that trap of I saw, I pleaded and I got it. I knew even as a child that the money just wasn't there. So when I reached adulthood I had learned just to take what I got with a smile, even if it meant nothing by this point. That and the added fact of motherhood pretty much made me ignore my own special day but I had a bad habit of going all out for theirs. Oh well.

Yes, I suppose you could say I'm one of those martyr type mothers, alway neglecting myself so my kids could always have a decent birthday or Christmas or just to make sure they have what they need. I just never gave any thought about what I wanted anymore.

So it was with a fair amount of surprise when my door banged open on that morning hard enough to bounce back off of the wall as two widely grinning children stormed through it. Leo's hand reached out from behind them to stop the door as it came on the back bounce before it slammed into the kids. Was a tricky feat considering he had a try in his hands along with a smile as he followed them into the room. The kids went airborne and landed in the bed as he chose the land route and walked over.

"Happy Birthday Mommy!" Dennis and Amy chimed as they grinned at me. "We made you breakfast!" Dennis added with his missing tooth smile.

Startled awake by the sudden surprise, that took a minute to sink in. "Huh?"

"We made you breakfast!" Amy said that time as I groggily sat up.

"You did?"

"Yuppers!" Dennis chirped. "I did the Eggos!"

"I put the syrup on them!" Amy excitedly told me, and sure enough the Eggos were covered in enough syrup to drown a horse. "I wanted to do the eggs, but Leo wouldn't let me near the fryer. He did them for us."

"I decided that would be better after she tried to hit him with it." Leo chuckled as he set the tray on my lap.

"But we got to put the sausage in the pan!"

"You let them cook and my kitchen is still in one piece?" I smiled up at him.

"Barely." He grinned wryly back.

I looked down at my plate at shook my head at the amount of food I found there. I wasn't sure Mikey could even finish this. "How am I supposed to eat all this?" I laughed.

"One bite at a time." Came the helpful answer. Smartass.

Needless to say I shared my breakfast with my family, I even fed Leo some bites to the amusement of my kids. "Look, Mommy feeding Leo like a baby." Amy snickered. The plate did get emptied after all. Had all these helpers.

After eating we just chilled on the bed for awhile until the small occupants in the crib wanted their attention. Leo walked over and got the few week old babies and they joined us as we goofed around. Was a lot of tickling going on. It was when the jumping started on the bed that we decided to move everyone out of the bedroom. Twins were getting hungry anyway.

The rest of the day I wasn't sure if I should be irritated or touched. I wasn't allowed to do anything that resembled work. Only exception to that was feeding the twins. Leo wouldn't even let me change a diaper for crying out loud. I have to admit it was nice being pampered, I just wasn't used to it.

Another thing was that I was banned from the lair. Couldn't go there. Everytime I tried one of those four sneaky ass ninjas ambushed me and shooed me back home. I knew something was up, that much was pretty obvious, just wasn't quite sure what. I guess I was just stuck having to wait and find out what they were up too.

That didn't mean I spent the day alone. Leo was there a lot and the others popped in from time to time. I got the usual Happy Birthday from all of them and endured the "you're getting old" jokes. You know, the lame ass ones everybody tells you every single birthday. No? Hasn't happened to you? Huh...must be just my weird family then.

It was evening when I was finally allowed into the lair, was actually dragged by the arm by a very excited Mikey with Dennis and Amy practically pushing me as a chuckling Leo walked behind us holding Ty while a smiling Donnie carried Lavi.

I walked into the living area and into the fully expected shindig, but I was still touched by what I saw. Balloons were everywhere, as were streamers. An obviously handmade banner was hanging against the far wall with 'Happy Birthday Mommy' scribbled and colored on it along with a whole bunch of other, smaller pictures. This was obviously what had kept my kids occupied today I noticed with a smile. There was also presents on the coffee table, and the cake was already waiting. By the looks of it homemade and my favorite, German Chocolate. Ok...the idiot who put fifty fucking candles on it was going to get slapped though. I wasn't _that_ old.

Cris was already lighting the candles as I was drug in and of course I was told "Blow them out Mommy!" and "Make a wish!" after everyone singing Happy Birthday. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed over it all. I'm really not used to that kind of attention and it felt awkward getting it. I decided to bury my discomfort in a big slice of cake though. I loooove German Chocolate...

The gifts came next and they were things you would normally expect. A lot of handmade stuff from the kids, stupid funny cards, even a couple of trinkets that I gushed over because I loved them. But there was one present that actually brought me to tears.

Not many of you know this, because I am a very tomboyish type of person and that mentality shines through the most, but I do have one small girly side. I love unicorns. I adore them. Even had a large collection of them at one time. Someone had ratted that secret out on me.

I opened a decent sized, unassuming box. "Careful." Leo murmured as I began to pull out the styrofoam packed object that was inside. I got the styrofoam out of the way and stared in awe at what was now sitting in my lap...then I started crying.

It was a crystal statue of not one of those fantasy creatures, but three. Two adults with a foal. The mother was gently nuzzling the small one while the stallion watched protectively over them both. My hands were shaking so hard I almost dropped it until Mikey came and took it from me. "Happy Birthday Vic." Mikey winked. "We thought you might like it."

"Oh Mikey!" I threw my hands around his neck and planted a tear stained kiss on his goofy cheek. "I love it..." Donnie had to come take it away from him before it got knocked out of his hands.

It took me a few minutes to collect myself from that one, I never suspected to get something like that. Never felt like I deserved to get something like that. Then I started questioning how they could _afford_ to get something like that. Along with a few other things, like materials for rings and what not. Never thought about it before, but I did ask this time. "How were you guys able to...get this?"

Suddenly four big turtles looked very sheepish all of a sudden and my brow shot up. "Well..." Mikey started, then looked at Donnie.

"It's very simple really..." Donnie trailed off and looked at Raph.

"Oh for shit's sake!" He grumbled. "We snatch the wallets of every punk we come across on patrols, or Donnie just straight up breaks into Sacks' bank accounts and we take it."

"You what?"

"You heard me. We get it from the low lifes in this city. Consider it our payment for putting up with their stupid asses."

I just stared at them in shock for a long while...then I cracked up. It _did_ make a twisted kind of sense... I looked at Leo and he just shrugged. "Well, it's true. That's how we started anyway. It's grown a bit more complicated than that."

"Only to those who don't understand." Donnie chuckled. "I've just took our, um...acquired funds and spread them out. I've got everything from savings bonds to phoney 401k plans set up all over the place. There's always something there to fall back on if we need it."

Cris tilted her head as she looked at him. "How much are you actually talking about Donnie?"

This time he shrugged. "Oh, a few million by this point. I lost count."

Our eyes grew wide at that bit of info. "Well now..." Cris mumbled.

"Nevermind." Raph told her firmly. "It's just fine where it is."

"Can't use it there anyway Cris." Donnie chuckled. "There's just enough differences in our currencies to where ours would be useless in your world. It'd be like play money."

Cris sighed.

The rest of the evening passed by normally, with us just sitting around and shootin shit back and forth until two kiddos started yawning and getting cranky. Then I knew it was bedtime. It took a little bit to get the cake wound up sugar highs I call children to bed, but we finally managed. Even was able to get the twins settled down.

My birthday present was sitting on top of the dresser, seeming to sparkle in the soft glow of the night light we had in the room. I just placed the finally sleeping Lavi next to her brother with a gentle smile when Leo walked into the bedroom and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Got one last surprise for you." He murmured in my ear before he placed a kiss on my neck.

"Oh?"

He didn't answer, but took my hand and gently pulled me to the bathroom. The soft smell of lavender hit my nose as soon as he opened the door. I loved lavender. Inside I found a candle lit bathroom and a bubble bath waiting for me. I was seriously eyeing that warm bath...

I quickly found out that the bath wasn't the present, not entirely. Door had just closed behind me when he proceeded to strip me, then literally picked me up and carried me to the tub before putting me in it. I closed my eyes and sighed as I felt the warm water surround me. The temperature was perfect...

Leo knelt down next to the tub the he reached out and grabbed my sponge. I just raised a questioning eyebrow at him as he dipped it into the water. "Think you might be overdoing it a bit?"

"Nope." Was the answer as he poured some soap onto the sponge. Then he reached in with the other arm and lifted my leg up and began to gently wash it.

I gave up with that argument before I really even started. He was in that mood and he was going to get his way. I settled instead on leaning my head against the rim of the tub and closing my eyes. The combination of the lavender coming out of the water and his gentle movements on my body was actually very soothing and I let out a content sigh. This had been a pretty decent birthday. Better than the last one...

Even thinking about that one brought a couple of tears to my eyes and they managed to slip down my face before I could stop them. I wasn't the one who wiped them away though. "What's wrong dear heart?" Leo asked quietly.

I opened my eyes to see him watching me. "I...just remembered last years birthday is all." I told him. "It was completely different than today." He didn't say anything, but his eyes held mine.

I had known him around this time last year. We had even started our relationship by then. But we had been separated by other circumstances, because he had already gone home by then and Donnie hadn't come up with the portal yet. He hadn't been here for it. "I missed you so much that day... I missed you everyday."

Suddenly the loneliness I felt back then hit me and I sat up then reached out my wet, soapy arms for him and he answered that silent call. He was against me in a moment and I kissed him, hard, as my arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled me against him just as hard, his arms strong arms holding me close. After a few kisses I pulled my head away and buried my face in his neck, but we still held each other. "I'm here now Vicky." He reassured me. "I'll always be here. There won't be another birthday without me." His lips kissed my hair.

Once that brief episode had been calmed down, he laid me back down and finished what he had started. Every inch of me was thoroughly washed. He even washed my hair for crying out loud. By the time he was done I can honestly say his gentle hands had did their work very well. I was starting to doze off I was so relaxed.

It was with a large amount of regret that I finally climbed out of there and was quickly wrapped in a towel and dried off. I just let him. One reason I was too tired by now to fight it, and another was that he wouldn't listen. He was set on pampering me and he was going to do just that.

Finally, after being washed, dried, redressed and even having my hair brushed then braided, he carried me to bed and slid in right next to me. My eyes were drifting closed before he had even settled down and pulled me close to him. "Thank you..." I managed to mumble out to his amused chuckle "for everything. I love you Leo..."

"I love you too Vicky." He held me a bit tighter. "Happy Birthday."

I just smiled as I drifted off to sleep. Yes...it had been a happy birthday...


	11. The Struggles Of Leadership

He stumbled down the sewers and fell to his knees, hoping had had left his pursuers behind this time. For a moment he thought he did until he heard a faint noise behind him. Cursing under his breath and struggling under his burden, he forced himself back to his feet and struggled on, ignoring the burning pain in his side. He knew he was leaving them a trail just because he knew he was bleeding hard enough to leave one. He had gotten separated from the others somehow and he was out here all alone except for the limp body in his arms. Didn't mean he was completely helpless.

The noise grew closer and he could now make out the footsteps for what they were. He quickly found a secure spot and stashed his unconscious sibling in there before he turned and pulled out the katanas. He may be tired and weak himself from blood loss, but he was nowhere near ready to give up yet. He wanted so much to just go home, but knew he couldn't, not while he was being followed. He slipped into the deep shadows instead and waited. Darkness was his ally more than theirs, and he intended to use it.

For a moment, despair filled him as he watched the group pour into the large reservoir area he was in. There was no way he could take them all on, there had to be at least twenty of them and he had been struggling and bleeding for awhile now. He pushed that doubt away with a low growl and just remained hidden. He didn't have a choice in the matter, he _had_ to be able to take them on. That's if he was found, he was wise enough to remain hidden. If he did it good enough maybe they would move on to another part of the sewers and he could then grab his sibling and back track.

That hope was dashed when they got out their heavy duty flashlights and turned them on. Once that happened, he was quickly spotted with his advantage being stripped from him. "There's the freak!" Came the expected shout. "Get him!"

The turtle narrowed his eyes and let out a chilling snarl. His helpless sibling was behind him and he was going to show them just how big of a mistake it would be for them to follow that order. His eyes blazing, he met them head on. Katanas swinging around him furiously, he pushed them back. He refused to lose. Until his body decided otherwise.

Pushed harder than he could endure he collapsed to the ground on his knees in pain and weakness after knocking the first few away. His arm now pressed against his side, he still held onto one of his swords as they came in. Looking up at them with a glare, he quickly brought it around and stabbed the closest one in the leg and he fell to the ground screaming in pain. The turtle ignored him as he brought it back around again, but it was kicked from his hand. Then he was kicked backwards and fell against the wall under where his sister was hidden. He couldn't even catch his breath by this point. He raised his unusual eyes up to the men closing in, he refused to show them fear. He couldn't face them like this, he was too tired, too weak...and he wasn't his father. Titian just couldn't fight them back anymore.

"Got you now freak." The leader grinned as he stalked in. A grin that lasted until a chain came out of the darkness behind him, wrapped around him, then pulled him into the darkness beyond. His startled scream was quickly silenced after that.

Twenty plus flashlights zipped to where the man had flown too, but he was gone. Then another one was yanked into the darkness. Dropping his light and weapon, he too disappeared. Flashlights were zipping all over the open space now, but none of those beams could pinpoint the tormenter, it had already moved on. Suddenly small pieces of metal flashed in those bright streams an instant before a whole row of flash lights literally exploded in the hands that carried them as the shuriken hit. An instant later the ones holding them were pulled into the darkness and disposed of. On the other side of the group, more just toppled over, but their assailant wasn't to be seen.

Ty however had an inkling about what was going on, he could feel something only he, his sister and Mother could, though he didn't have Mother's range. That he could feel it now meant someone he knew very well was near. He calmed immensely, but he was still in a bad situation.

Now that the attention was off of him, for the most part, Ty snarled through his pain and managed to kick the legs out from under the man closest to him, then kicked him in the face as he fell and that one wasn't going to get back up. Another, already starting to show the first signs of fright about what was going on, snarled and slammed the butt of his weapon against Ty's head. "That's about enough out of you!"

He was the next to go down. Even as Ty slumped back down in pain, the man was hoisted up in the air, trying to cry out but couldn't because of the hand that suddenly found itself around his neck.

The figure now standing in front of Ty was larger than life, would always be to him. He was tall and muscular, but that large frame held a being that was calm and always in control, for the most part. He was Ty's teacher, had taught the seventeen year old everything he knew and Ty had chosen the katanas to honor this turtle. The blue eyes behind that blue mask weren't clouded by pain and weariness. There was no injury to slow down this one's fury at what had just happened, and he proved that by throwing the man into the cluster still standing there, knocking more of them down. In front of the young turtle stood the imposing frame of Leonardo, the bane of countless gangs, thugs, crooked crime lords and whatever other evil doers were out there, the leader of the turtles who called these sewers home and Titian's father.

You would think that with his age he would be slowing down by now. That was not the case. Even as the teen watched from where he was on the ground, Father calmly reached out and hurled another one across the room, then jumped right into the middle of them. His leg swung around almost effortlessly in a roundhouse, knocking a group out like falling dominoes before he leapt and took out two more in a split kick. He came down punching and in a few short moments, the tables had definitely turned. Then the katanas came out and Ty could only watch as his father put them to use. Lessons he had been taught he could now see as his father effortlessly brought them around again and again, disarming those around him with ease.

Ty was still building his reputation among the city's lowlifes, was still learning and gathering his own experience. Father already had one. And he lived up to it as he relentlessly kept at them until the small few that were left finally got smart and ran like hell. They might have been a match for an injured Ty and an unconscious Lavi, but they didn't stand a chance against a furious, healthy, Leonardo.

Father watched them go with hard eyes a moment before he turned to his son. His eyes quickly took in the condition of the teen before they softened. "Donnie!" He spoke into the headset he wore. "I found them. East side reservoir, I'm going to need some help to get them back home." He listened for a moment before he moved in.

Ty tried to sit up, but his side hurt to much and he collapsed back against the wall.

"Easy..." Father knelt down to inspect the damage. "Don't move."

"The...others?"

"Your cousins are a little busted up, but they are fine. They came home about two hours ago." Even as he spoke, his gentle hands ripped off part of his clothing and tried to stem the flow from the injury. "Hold this here."

Ty nodded and did as he was told. Father then stood up and pulled Lavi from where Ty had stashed her and laid her gently on the ground next to Ty. He then began his meticulous inspection of her. "What happened?" He asked while he worked. "Didn't really have time to get it out of the others, all we could get was that you guys got ambushed and separated."

Ty leaned his head back against the wall with a sigh. "That's basically it." He replied as he closed his eyes. "Walked right into it too. Lost our headsets and everything." He muttered. "I'm...sorry... You entrusted me with leading them...and I failed miserably tonight."

Father was quiet for a moment, bandaging what he could on Lavi with what little he had to work with, then he met Ty's guilt filled eyes. "Ty...stop." He said quietly.

Ty opened his eyes to find his father looking firmly back at him, his hands paused in the act of tying one of the makeshift bandages on Lavi's arm. "Don't do this to yourself." Ty couldn't meet that intense stare and had to turn his head away. Father wasn't about to let up though. "I say that because I know what it will lead to." His voice continued on. "I chose you for a reason, and I knew from the get go that you would run head first into things that will not go according to plan. I trusted you enough to be able to think quick when it does happen, and you did. Because no matter how much you think you screwed up, you didn't. Because you are all alive."

Father then moved from Lavi, apparently now finished with her, and knelt down next to Ty, checking the injury, and frowned a moment before he continued. "But if you doubt yourself now, all that will do is burden you more the next time you go out. Use this, learn from it and grow. Don't let it drag you down, because then you drag down the rest."

"I just don't know if I can do this." Ty admitted.

"There was a time I didn't either." Father admitted right back. "I had those same doubts you do now."

"Does it ever stop?" Ty looked up at his Father. "Does it ever get easier?"

Again the older turtle was quiet as he thought how to answer. "Does it stop? No. I can't tell you how many times it still tries to come back, the feelings of inadequacy. Happens every time one of you gets hurt...like now. To be honest, I'm running a whole bunch of things through my head right now. Maybe I should have went with you, maybe you aren't ready for patrolling on your own after all... But I've learned to push them away. And there is something you always need to remember."

"And that is?"

"As long as I am able too, I'll have your back. Don't ever think that just because you are out there without me that you are alone. I made you that promise the day you were born, and I'll keep it as long as I can."

Ty teared up a little as he looked back at Father and blinked them away as those calm eyes met his. "Thanks Dad..."

A calming hand on his shoulder was the only reply he got. "Can you move?" Father asked then. "We need to get out of here before they wake up."

"I...don't know." Ty did try, but slumped back to the ground, he just couldn't...

Father didn't even blink, he stood up and gently laid Lavi over his shoulder before reaching down to pull Ty up. "Lean on me."

Ty did and his father didn't even stumble under his burden and they slowly managed to make their way out. It didn't take long before the tunnels were filled with life again, but this group Ty was glad to see. "Leo!" Uncle Mikey called when he came into view, with the other two right behind. They quickly closed the distance and the smallest Uncle took Lavi while Uncle Raph went to hold Ty's other side up. Uncle Donnie was on that gash in his side in an instant. Removing Father's work and giving it a better wrap job.

An hour later he was back in the comforting surroundings of his home, with his worried mother hovering over Lavi as Father stood by Ty.

"She'll be fine Vic." Uncle Donnie told Mother. "She just got a few cuts and scrapes and a decent egg on her head. She'll recover just fine." Then he walked over to Ty. "This one on the other hand is going to need stitches." That's when Mother thought she should hover over him instead and Ty had to suppress a groan. He knew she was going to baby him relentlessly now for the next few days.

Ty sighed. He really didn't like needles too much. Oh well... He was hurting bad enough that he really didn't care at that point. His uncle caught the pain filled look and took action accordingly, by giving the younger turtle something to knock him out.

Before he slipped into that black void, Ty met his Father's gaze and once again calm reassurance flooded him. He would be there, he would always be there. Ty knew that this wasn't going to be easy, had found himself struggling with this life earlier. But under his Father's watchful eye he would learn and he would grow. There may be low points ahead, but he felt a bit better equipped to deal with them as he replayed the earlier conversation over again in his head. Maybe one day, if he kept trying, he would have a reputation as fearsome as his Father's and uncles. Until then...he still had a lot to learn, and a Father willing to teach him.


	12. The Brewing Storm

Leo sighed as he led his weary brothers home. It had been a rough few months. Sachs had been very active lately and Bishop had been up to his usual shenanigans. What they had found in those respective labs had Leo at his lowest point that he had been in a long while. But hopefully things would calm down for awhile. If his spirits would rise again with time...he didn't know.

Raph walked just as despondently behind him, and even let out a train rumble sigh of his own as they entered their quiet home. Even Mikey was unusually quiet at what they had found. Once again innocents had suffered and it was hitting them all hard, not just Leo.

His brothers didn't even say their good nights as they all disappeared into their own rooms. Leo couldn't settle down enough himself, he went in another direction. He missed someone a lot tonight. It was nights like this that he would usually talk to his Father, ask him for his guidance on how to deal with what he was feeling. But he couldn't even do that anymore really.

He entered the only room that didn't have an occupant, not anymore anyway. It was always cared for, not even one speck of dust was allowed in here and the sheets were regularly washed still, just to keep them fresh. It was sparsely furnished with the simple things the owner of this room had held dear.

Leo walked into the dark room, not even bothering to turn on the light, and sat down cross legged in front of the urn that rested on the low table against the far wall. He didn't even try to meditate...he just sat there.

"I had hoped that things would grow easier with time." He quietly told the urn then. Told his Father. "That I could keep going on without you. You have taught us how to fight physical foes, but that's not what we are struggling with. It seems like the more we do this, the more depravity we find. And there is no one to ease what we see. No one to help us through the images that won't leave our minds. I miss you Father, in these last few months, I have missed you so much. I wish I could talk to you. It's getting to the point I feel so lost and alone in this dark world we find ourselves in. And there is no one to fill the void you left in my heart, no one to give me the strength to go on..." He blinked back the tears then and sat there quietly as he fought to control himself.

After some time, and a quiet sigh, he slowly stood up and left the room just as quietly as he had entered. He had hoped that this would have helped...but it didn't. He went to his bed and the restless sleep he found in it.

.

.

In the sky in another world, an unusually strong cold front began to make it's way south from Canada, pushed on by more than just Mother Nature as it began to head south, towards the Great Plains and a small house found in that vast expanse of almost nothingness. Towards a very lonely soul who was struggling. It would clash with the heat wave that had struck this region for a couple of weeks now, and it would break it. And if the driving force had calculated right...it would also break something else.

.

.

"Hey." Mikey told him halfheartedly when Leo walked into the kitchen the next morning. "Mind if we skip training today? I...just don't feel up to it."

"To be honest little brother...I don't either." Leo replied as he went to make him some tea.

"There's a surprise." Donnie said before he sipped on his coffee. "Never expected that from you."

"First time for everything I guess."

"So what are we going to do today?" Raph asked from the chair he was leaning back in, hands resting on the back of his head.

"Nothing." Leo put his teapot on the stove then reached up to grab a mug. "For once, I just want to stay home and just...relax."

"You feelin' alright?" Mikey asked him.

Leo sighed as he leaned against the counter to wait for his water to heat up. "No, not really."

His brothers quietly looked at him, but didn't say anything. They pretty much knew how he felt, because they felt it too.

"Anyone hungry?" Mikey asked, more to break the silence really than out of a desire to eat. "I'll make some breakfast." Three heads shook no. "Me neither."

The kitchen was quiet after that, the only sound was the whistle of the teapot.

.

.

The front picked up speed over the course of the day, rolling over the heated landscape like a cooling wave. Storms began to flare up around the front edge of it, prompting numerous watches and warnings as the lighting blasted in the skies. Storm watchers began to scurry around, eyeing the intensity of it. Waiting for funnels to form. But this wasn't going to happen, not this time. The guiding force didn't want to bring destruction, it wanted to bring peace to troubled minds and hearts. It had always had an intricate connection to things mortals really couldn't understand, and it respected the forces greatly that it was unleashing. Mother Nature lent it her power, but it would not allow anyone to be harmed. These storms had the potential to be deadly, but this time they weren't. Onward the front pushed, ever closer to where it wanted the storms to go.

.

.

Mikey flipped through the channels but nothing was really on besides the early evening news and cheesy ass sitcoms. He finally gave up and turned the TV off before dropping the remote on the coffee table. He leaned back into the couch with a sigh.

"Nothing on?" Leo asked him from where he was sitting in the recliner, reading a book.

"Nope."

"Why don't you play your video game?"

"Don't feel like it." Mikey shrugged.

"Don't you be gettin' on my damn nerves now because you are bored." Raph grumbled at him from the other end of the couch.

"That's just it Raph... I'm not really bored."

"I find that hard to believe." Donnie mumbled from where he was sitting in the other recliner, adjusting something on his pack.

"I'm not." Mikey reaffirmed. "I just... I dunno."

Leo looked up from his book, his blue eyes now looking at his brother. "You feel lost?"

Mikey was quiet a minute, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Feels like everything is pointless."

"Empty." Raph added.

"Like something is missing." Donnie said quietly from the recliner.

Leo closed his book and laid it with a plop next to the remote. He really wasn't reading it anyway. He instead rested his head in his palm, his eyes now looking out at nothing as he tried to settle the feeling they all felt.

.

.

Night had fallen and the skies now lit up with the intense light show. The thunder sounded across the horizon in one long lasting rumble. A new sound crashing before the old even faded out. Still it urged these storms to keep moving, so close to it's target as the winds whipped over the grass. Goats began to scramble around in their pen, frightened at the sheer force that was rapidly approaching them before they huddled inside their houses. Closer still it moved, holding back a few strikes that had been wanting to come. It had to time this perfectly and one stray bolt would ruin the effort. Just a little bit more, just a bit... Finally it was close enough and it let loose the sheer fury of numerous bolts as they crashed into the nearest power line connected to this small dwelling. And with that force a doorway ripped open...it was time..

.

.

That night, much to his surprise, Leo found he wasn't the only one who was looking for comfort from their Father. Mikey was already there, just standing quietly looking down at the urn. He looked up with sad eyes as Leo entered the room. "You too huh..."

Leo just nodded as he moved to stand next to his brother.

"Make that three." Donnie said as he slowly walked in next. "I...just felt like being near him tonight."

"Same here." Leo told him.

"Good...that means I ain't going nuts then." Raph grumbled as he followed. "Thought for a minute I was the only sap..."

"You are the only sap." Mikey grinned at him. The first grin he had on his face all day actually.

Leo chuckled at the glare Raph gave their little brother.

Before the ensuing argument could begin though, a blinding light filled the room. A light bright enough to where not even closing their eyes to it could keep it all out. That was followed with a sudden lurching feeling, as if someone was pushing them to the side, but they stayed firmly on their feet the whole time. The light and uneasy feeling lasted for a few moments. Holding them firmly in place. Leo found he couldn't move in it, couldn't talk. All he could do was wait for it to pass.

And when it did they found themselves in darkness. They couldn't see right away, because they were still blinking from the effects of the light, but they immediately knew they were not in their home.

Leo tried to get his eyes to focus when he heard a thump come from in front of him somewhere, followed by the sounds of a female's voice grumbling something about stupid blackouts, stupid desks and stupid everything in general.

They were still in shock over what had just happened when the figure started to move across the room, but obviously couldn't see where she was going and she bumped right into Donnie who couldn't move out of her way quick enough. She froze in shock because she ran into something that wasn't supposed to be there, they froze because they didn't want to give themselves away.

Then the lights came on and they were fucked.

Standing in front of them as close as she was, there was no way they could hide from her, wasn't even really a place to do that in this small building, by the looks of it her home. Her brown eyes grew wide as her mouth dropped open. Strangely, fear didn't register on her face. Disbelief and recognition were there, but no fear.

They were looking at her just as stunned as she was looking at them. What Leo found curious was the fact that he really wasn't alarmed. He somehow knew this woman in front of them meant them no harm. The sheer surprise was enough to tell him that much.

Then, in a move that was prompted by her utter disbelief, she reached out and carefully poked Leo to see if he was really there. Leo just raised an eyeridge at her, slightly amused by the way she reacted. He was expecting screams...not a confused poke. She looked like she wanted to poke Raph next, caught sight of his scowl and quickly decided against that course of action.

Finally she seemed to get her mouth to work because she nervously cleared her throat. "Hi...um...welcome to my home." She began nervously.

Leo looked at her, and what caught his attention the most were those brown eyes. They seemed to call out to him. "I would say thank you but we had no intention of coming here in the first place. Did you bring us here?"

She let out a laugh at that. Raph growled at the sound but Leo reached out a hand to calm him. His eyes didn't leave hers though. "No, I didn't bring you here. I wouldn't even know how to bring you here. And Raph don't you dare throw a fit. If you wake my kids up I'll throw one that makes yours look like a toddler temper tantrum."

Raph blinked at her. "How did you know my name?"

"I know all of you. Leo. Donnie. Mikey and you're Raph."

"Dudes, she can read minds..." Mikey said and Leo tried not to roll his eyes, because he didn't want them to leave hers. She was still pulling at him. Something was anyway.

"I'm afraid you have us at a disadvantage, miss." Leo calmly said, already adjusting to this situation.

"My name is Vicky. I think I should show you how I know you. Not sure if you will believe me otherwise."

And over the course of the next hour or so, they watched everything she showed them and they were struck with amazement on how much she knew. It was now clearly obvious that they were not only gone from their home, they had completely left their world.

Leo grew more at ease with Vicky. She was no threat to them at all, just the recipient of a freak accident. If anything she seemed excited to have them there. He still didn't understand what exactly had happened, none of them did. But he knew they would be safe with her.

As they talked he found that he wanted to get to know this woman who offered to share her home with them, because she refused to throw them out. It touched him more than he would admit that she would offer what little she had to them. He wasn't so sure other humans would have been so inclined, not after what he had seen lately. Somehow, Vicky began to restore the faith in him that not all humans were bad, there were some good ones still out there. When she finally helped them settle down for the night, giving them all the blankets and pillows she had, Leo had already lost that lost, empty feeling that had been plaguing him lately.

Leo was the last one of his brothers to fall asleep that night as he laid on the pullout sofa next to Mikey. His eyes stared at the unfamiliar ceiling as sleep refused to come to him. He wasn't thinking about his current predicament, or how to find a way home. Wasn't even dwelling on why this had even happened. The only thing that wouldn't leave his mind was that pair of brown eyes that stayed with him long after she had retreated for the night to her room. He really couldn't explain why, but he felt like he had just found something he had lost. What he didn't know was that he had just found something that he would never lose.


	13. Feelings Unlocked

Leo didn't know what it was about her. He had been here just a few days and she just kept drawing him in. Her pain, her loneliness had felt so much like his own just a few short days before. Something had been missing, and he thought he may have found it in her. But even calm, rational Leonardo was astounded by how quickly this had happened as he held her against him, both of them naked and him inside of her. Both of them lost in the throws of passion.

He had been mildly surprised to find her outside earlier, looking thoughtfully up at the moon. He had also been drawn outside on this calm night, enjoying himself as he wandered the property. It was something he usually didn't get to do very often, wander around out in the open like this. But her home was secluded enough to where he could, even in the daylight. Even as he walked closer to her, he could still feel the sadness that always seemed to lay just under the happy exterior. A sadness she had lived with so long she didn't even pay it any attention anymore. It had become a part of her. He just didn't really know what caused that sadness in her.

That came soon to the surface as she told her story to him. And sadly, he somehow wasn't surprised by what he heard. Everything she described happened far too often in these times, in both worlds. But this was the first time he was actually confronted with it. He gave her that listening ear she so dearly needed, and the understanding. When she had finally told him that she wished so much to find someone like him...for the first time his feelings reacted before his mind could. He had leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back. Even as he took in the taste of her, her own doubt ripped her right away from him again. He wasn't upset when she pulled away and turned her head, he fully understood what she was struggling with. He was glad however that his own feelings that were growing inside of him was now out in the open and fully in front of her. She may doubt herself, but she had no reason to doubt him.

After leading her back to the house, he again found himself lying awake in her living room. His mind lost in thought. There was no denying it now, he was losing to that pull to her. He finally admitted to himself that he wanted this woman, he wanted Vicky. Everything inside of him screamed that fact. He wanted to be by her side, he wanted to hold her, protect her from her fears, he wanted her to fill the hole in his heart. Even now the feeling of her lips against his burned as he struggled to find sleep. Leo knew he would never be the same.

He was just starting to fall asleep when he heard her squeaky door open, and she came to get a glass of water. Even in the darkness he could see the tumbling emotions on her face as he quietly watched her. It wasn't what he really expected to see though. She seemed happy, confused, but happy as she moved quietly back to her room with her drink. A few moments later the door closed behind her again.

He had gotten up on an impulse, knowing she couldn't sleep because of what had happened outside earlier. The same reason why he couldn't. The squeaky door didn't give him away as he entered, so nothing disturbed the picture he had of her as she sipped her water while she looked out the window. Her attention once again on the full moon outside. Her long brown hair flowed unbound down her back and her pale skin seemed to glow in the soft light. Suddenly he felt the need to hold her, to feel her and he walked over.

"Didn't I tell you to get some rest?" He asked her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She didn't fight him, but instead leaned into him more. He closed his eyes as she did, just content to hold her.

"I couldn't sleep."

"And why not?" He breathed in the scent of her hair, lavender...she smelt of lavender.

"Leo, what are we getting into? I mean, what will happen between us when you go back?" He knew she had tried to hide it, but he knew she was trying not to cry.

"Honestly, I don't know. But that doesn't change the fact that I care for you." And he did. From tonight on, she would always have a place in his heart. He wasn't sure where this would lead, but he so much wanted to explore it.

They were both quiet as they looked out, neither of them really wanting to talk. Her body felt so soft against him, softer than anything he had felt before and he stood there in quiet awe that he was even holding her. He didn't know what the future held for them, neither did she. But he did feel her struggling with it. He wished he could find the words to tell her it was going to be alright, everything was going to work out. He couldn't though, because he didn't even know if it would be.

Suddenly she turned in his arms and he looked down into those eyes. There was something in them he couldn't quite make out. An intensity, a need came to the surface as she reached up her hand and stroked his cheek. "Leo...I want to let you in, but I can't. I need help, please..."

Leo held her gaze as his breathing quickened slightly. He wasn't so sure going even further was what she needed right now. Thought it might still be too soon. But then again...how much time did they have? Again his feelings took control and he lowered his head to her lips.

One kiss had turned into many, and they didn't stop with just those. He now sat on the edge of her bed with her straddling him, her mouth open in pleasure as he thrust into her and she forced herself down onto him. Their heads were close together, almost cheek on cheek. His arms around her waist held her close to him and her arms around his neck held him close to her. She was completely open to him, she let him see what she truly felt for him. Her defenses were down. For the first time he saw her as she truly was, a broken woman who wanted desperately something to believe in, wanted someone to love. He gave her that. He gave her everything he could even as he accepted what she offered. And it felt so right doing it. He hadn't felt so sure of something in a long time. No matter what happened later, this moment will never be regretted.

Vicky's lips pressed against his as her whimpers grew more needy and with a few gentle rubs against her clit he responded to that need. Her arms tightened around him, her muscles clamped down and the moan that was forced out of her throat did nothing to help release her pleasure. She shook against him as her body was ravaged by her ecstasy and he soon joined her in that feeling, returning her kiss hard as he filled her.

Once she calmed, the internal storm now passed, she fell limply against him. Her head resting on her shoulder struggled to look up at him, her eyes barely able to stay open. He shifted her around from her straddling position to a sitting one, her legs slung across his and she settled down against him. "Leo..." She breathed even as her eyes slid closed, her voice content, happy...

The now sleeping woman didn't notice the look he gave her as he still held her against him. Didn't see the quiet wonder in his eyes as he brushed her hair behind her ear. Many would think that getting this closely involved with someone who you would have to leave might not be the best thing to do. Leo didn't believe that, not anymore. She was now so firmly entrenched in him that she would always be with him. He would always have these moments to look back on. Take comfort in the fact that he had been able to show her she could feel like this again and would always be touched that she trusted him enough to open up the way she did. He would always remember that he had fallen for her, fallen for her hard.

Still he sat there, for a long time, watching as she slept against him. Her face peaceful, serene. His arms a gentle cradle around her. Her breathing had slowed to a gentle rhythm and her body felt so warm against him, soothing. Leo's thumb gently moved across the soft skin as he looked down at her. There had been a hole in his heart, there had been something missing. Not anymore. It was when the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn he finally realized...he loved her. And as soon as that thought became clear he knew that he always will.


	14. Reunited

The sheer heartache he carried around now worried Donnie more than a little. Leo wasn't taking this well at all. But he had expected it. Leo and Vicky fell for each hard and fast, and now they were torn apart. He was now here in their world and she had been left behind in hers.

Donnie watched over the rim of his coffee cup as he took a sip. Watched as Leo quietly ate his breakfast, his hands and mouth operating on autopilot as his eyes stared at the table. Wasn't even anything to stare at besides the worn wood. With his next sip his eyes met Raph's who met his gaze with a worried one of his own. Donnie knew he was thinking the same thing. Would Leo ever be able to shake this?

Still, their life moved on. Wasn't long after they got back, much to a worried April and Casey's relief, that they had to go out and inform the nice scumbags of New York that the turtles were back in town. Somehow Leo managed to snap himself together to still be able to lead them. If they were out it seemed like nothing had changed, he was calm, decisive and quick on his feet. But as soon as they got home...they were stuck with this. Only thing Donnie could think of was that Leo was able to pull himself together because their lives depended on it. But once the threat of death by stupid moron had passed, Leo's thoughts went right back to her.

"Mornin'!" Mikey chirped as he entered the kitchen and began to pour him some cereal. Raph and Donnie answered, Leo just stared at the table. "Hey Leo!"

The oldest brother looked up and the sheer sadness in his eyes broke Donnie's heart.

"April called earlier and said there was going to be an expo coming to town. Supposed to have all kinds of cool martial arts stuff in it. She thinks she might get an after hours pass or somethin' and wanted to know if we wanted to sneak in and join her."

"You guys go. I don't feel up to it."

Mikey stared at him. "Dude...that's not gonna come back around any time soon. Might not get another chance at it."

Leo pushed his half eaten breakfast away. "I...can't..." Donnie saw the tears trying to form in his eyes. "I don't want to go." And he got up and left the room.

"Donnie, bro, you seriously need to do something." Mikey told the purple masked turtle.

"I've tried Mikey. He's not responding to anything. I...don't know what else to do for him."

Raph had his elbow resting on the table and his head resting on that palm, his other hand was drumming the table with his fingers as he looked at the door Leo had just walked out of. "I'd beat him out of his funk if I thought it would do any good."

"Oh yeah Raph." Donnie rolled his eyes. "Let's fix a broken heart by breaking everything else in him. _That'll_ work."

"Don't see _you_ coming up with any bright ideas."

"I don't know what else to _do!_ " Donnie snapped frustrated at him. "Didn't I _just_ say that?" Grumbling Donnie raised his mug back to his lips.

"You know, it would be cool if we had some kind of door or something to her place." Mikey muttered as he took a bite of his cereal.

Coffee flew everywhere as Donnie spit it back out. A doorway...

"What the hell Donnie!" Raph fumed as he wiped the coffee off of his face. Then just gaped as Donnie didn't seem to hear him. His eyes had a faraway look in them as he got up. Then he too left the kitchen. "What's wrong with him?"

"I dunno." Mikey shrugged. "But he's got good aim with his coffee spitter."

Raph glared at him for a moment, then reached out, took the bowl from in front of Mikey, and dumped it on his little brother's head. "And I got good aim with my cereal dumper."

.

.

Leo took a few deep breaths to gain control of himself after he left the kitchen. But it seemed to get harder to do. He missed her, he missed her so much... Swallowing his pain, he went to visit his Father, closing the door behind him after he quietly entered. He then sat down on the floor and tried to meditate, but he couldn't clear her from his mind. Again he was haunted by visions of her, her smile, they way she would blow her bangs out of her face, her morning grumpiness...all of those memories and many more passed through his mind. How much he loved her...

He almost gave up the attempt, but before he did he felt something else. Someone else was watching what he was struggling through. A calm came over him as the memories were shared. Leo knew who it was. "I miss her Father. I...I don't know...if I will ever stop missing her." There was no reply, but a cocoon of warmth wrapped around him, warmth that was tinged with hope. When he left the room a couple of hours later he felt a little better, not much but enough to where he felt he could control himself around his brothers.

He found them all in the lab, Mikey and Raph each looking over a shoulder as they watched Donnie, who was furiously scribbling and doodling on a sketchpad.

"What's going on?" Leo asked quietly as he entered and three heads swiveled in his direction.

"Nothing." Donnie hid the pad.

"Not a damn thing." Raph grumbled.

"Donnie is thinking about building a portal thingie so you can go see Vicky and not be so mopey anymore." Mikey cheerfully informed him. Donnie groaned and dropped his head in his hand as Raph smacked Mikey. "Ow!"

"What part of 'Let's not get Leo's hopes up' did you not understand lamebrain?" Raph growled at his little brother.

"The whole sentence apparently." Donnie sighed as he looked at a stunned Leo.

Leo's eyes had widened and his breathing picked up a little as the hope he felt earlier began to grow a bit more. "A...portal thingie?" He found his hands starting to tremble as what they were implying was starting to hit him, hard. "So I can...go...go see her..."

Donnie sighed again as he looked at the mess his big brother was rapidly turning into. "Leo, I'll be honest, I really don't know if I can actually do this." He glared at Mikey. "Which was why I wasn't going to tell you yet."

"I can...see..." Tears sprang to his eyes again. He slowly walked closer and Donnie pulled the pad back out so he could look for himself. Leo reached out a trembling hand and picked up the pad. He didn't understand much of what was written and scribbled on there, but it was something that he knew would end up being very important to him. "...Vicky..."

.

.

Donnie was mumbling as he worked. He had a lot riding on this silly contraption, but he kept running into hurdle after hurdle. If it wasn't having to go out, it was having to fix something Mikey managed to break. Not to mention trying to round up parts that he needed to even build this thing.

Now he ran into a major problem...how in the hell was he going to power it? It's not like he had a lifetime supply of lighting bolts in his pocket. It would take more batteries than he could ever hope to find room to put them and if he tried to take it off of the main grid, it might drain too much power from the city. He would be faced with two scenarios then, he would either cause a huge fucking blackout, or they would trace the power surge and that would bring them dangerously close to the lair. He didn't want to chance that. He rolled out from under it and threw his wrench on the floor in frustration.

"Donnie?" He looked up to see Leo standing there and he quickly schooled his temper. "I brought you something to eat." The way he stood there, his eyes so hopeful. Reminded Donnie of a kid who watched his parents buy him something cool. Kid...He wondered how Dennis and Amy were doing... "H-how...is it...is it going?"

"It's going." Donnie carefully replied as he stood up. Leo had been trying to keep composed, but he could see that this was starting to get to him. Every day as he watched from the side lines as the device began to take shape, the hope in his eyes grew. It actually scared Donnie on how much Leo needed this thing, because if it didn't work it would crush him. "Just taking me awhile to work it all out." He walked over to his brother and took the offered food.

Leo just walked over to the portal, his eyes lost in thought as he studied it, it almost seemed like he was trying to look through it to the destination on the other side. Then with a sigh he turned and quietly left the lab. Donnie had watched it all as he bit into the sandwich Leo brought him.

He still carried that pain in his eyes and the only thing that would make it go away was locked away behind that device Donnie couldn't figure out how to get running. Donnie looked from the door where Leo had just walked through to the portal. His eyes narrowed and he dropped the sandwich back onto the plate with a plop. He _would_ figure this out.

.

.

"Well...here goes nothing." Donnie said late one night and turned it on.

Leo barely heard him as he stood next to his brothers. It flickered a little before the soft, blue tinged glow came from it. Leo began to shake violently. It was working...

"Whoohoo!" Mikey hooped before he made a mad dash towards it. He didn't get far when Raph grabbed his mask tails and yanked him back hard enough to make him fall backwards to the floor in a roll.

Raph met the eyes of the younger turtle and jerked his head towards Leo, who was oblivious to what just happened. Donnie threw a few objects through first, paper clips, pens, things like that to make sure it wouldn't fry anything going through it. Leo couldn't take his eyes off of it. Donnie finally walked over and carefully poked his finger through it, then pulled it back out. "Well, I didn't lose it." He said. "That's a good thing."

Raph just snorted as Mikey chuckled. Then they all grew quiet as they all looked at Leo, who still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that it was finally ready. He just blankly stared at his brothers.

"Well, go on." Donnie softly told him. "She's waiting for you."

"Donnie...I..." He struggled to talk around the lump he suddenly found in his throat.

"Oh good lord..." Raph grumbled and gave him a good push to get him moving and Leo stumbled a few steps to the portal. "Go already you big fucking wuss!" That time Donnie joined in with Mikey's chuckles.

"Tell her I said sorry for taking so long." Donnie winked at him.

Leo took a long steadying breath and stepped through.

The first thing he noticed was that the portal had torn apart a tarp that had been covering the machine Donnie had made to send them back home, and now was used as an anchor point for the portal. He winced a little when he noticed that it was one of Gramps'. He hoped the Vicky's dad wouldn't be too upset about that. Then he looked around to get his bearings. He was behind the house and very close to the back door. It just took him a few steps to reach it, and no effort to open it.

The house was quiet as he moved down the hallway, past the rooms of the children who were no doubt sleeping in their beds. Onward he went past the bathroom until he reached the door at the end of the hallway, and carefully opened it. His eyes found her even as he stepped in and didn't leave her as he closed the door back behind him.

She was tossing in her sleep, and muttering. She was also holding something against her chest, holding it tight even as she slept, seemingly trying to take comfort from it. His heart melted when he noticed what it was. The simple white flower he had given her after their first night together, it was now framed, and in her arms.

Leo carefully moved closer and knelt on his knee next to the bed before leaning in and kissing her hair. It was still just as soft as he remembered it. His eyes were now watching her face as his hand gently stroked her cheek. She mumbled something under her breath again as Leo noticed that her face was wet with tears she had recently shed. He was blinking back his own as he realized that he wasn't the only one who had been struggling.

Her eyes then slowly blinked open and found his. They were filled with such sadness and he could see the confusion that was now mixing in with it as she tried to get her half asleep mind to accept what she was seeing. He helped her along by leaning in and softly kissing her lips. It still didn't fully comprehend in her. Leo smiled, she always did take a bit to wake up fully. He reached out and took the frame from her, that she wasn't letting go of, and placed it onto the nightstand before he sat on the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Finally it fully clicked in her and her eyes started to moisten as she took in his features. "How...How are you here...please let this be real." She whispered.

"Very real." He replied softly kissing her hair. Then his hand brushed her wet cheek again. "You've been crying..."

"I missed you so much..." The tears flowing now were ones of happiness of being able to see him again.

"I know. I missed you too." He was fighting back his own. To be able to see her again, to hold her...

"How...how did you get here?"

"Donnie. He build a portal device that connects to the machine he made here. There is now a doorway between our worlds. He normally tests these things out first, but he let me go this time. We owe your dad a new tarp by the way."

"You mean..." Hope and joy filled her face then as she understood what he was telling her.

He smiled. "We can see each other when ever we want. He told me to tell you sorry it took him so long. I guess it was a complicated thing to build. It took him weeks."

"They didn't come with you?"

"No, not this time. They decided to stay behind tonight. You'll see them tomorrow I'm sure. Tonight it's just me, if that's ok with you..." He said. Her hand came up and touched his cheek as she fought back more tears.

That gentle touch called to him and he lowered his head to hers to answer it. The kiss was soft, gentle. Assuring her that he was here and would never leave her side again. It heated up quickly into something more and there were no more tears from either of them that night. Only happiness to be able to see each other again.


	15. A Family Meal

**The blame for this one goes to WOLFJADE28 for putting the idea in my head.**

It took me a while to get used to the fact we had two kitchens. What ended up happening there was mine became the go to one for when we were puttering around at my place, training outside, playing, helping my dad with the goats...stuff like that. It was full of grab and go things and items I could throw together for a quick lunch for the kids, even a few things for when Leo and I did our date night dinners there. But the big evening meal was always eaten at the lair, simply because they had more room in there.

After a few weeks Mikey and I had grown into a routine, kids would come home and I would tackle snacktime and then once homework was finished I went to help him with supper. Worked out pretty good actually. But I had to do damage control while working with him, that nut just can not figure out how to cook like a normal person... The food is good, don't get me wrong, it's just his process of getting from raw ingredients to a wonderful home cooked meal...gets adventurous sometimes.

But we did set aside days, usually on the weekends, for family pizza night. Well...they were the Ninja Turtles... Gotta have pizza _some_ time... Of course the kiddos were excited for pizza nights, really haven't found a kid yet that didn't get excited over it, and they spent the whole Saturday afternoon waiting for suppertime to roll around so they could indulge in those circly forms of yumminess. To appease picky eaters we got a few kinds of varieties so there would be something there they would want.

When Raph and I finally walked in the lair with those boxes we got stampeded by two very excited kids and Raph had to hold the boxes up high so they wouldn't get knocked out of his hands. "Shit...they are worse than Mikey sometimes..." He complained, but he couldn't hide that smile from me.

"Go set the table or no pizza!" I managed to make myself heard over the noise and they turned around and bolted back towards the kitchen. That left Raph with a clear path to the kitchen.

We walked in and I just shook my head, the table was getting set alright...Mikey was flinging the plates across the room in off the wall angles and Leo was flipping and spinning to catch them to the delighted squeals of my children as they laughed and applauded the ridiculous show. When Mikey threw one high and Leo lept up, caught it, went into a backspin and hit the ground on his feet, the cheers were hurting my ears. I loved my turtle...but he had his moments sometimes.

He caught my look and gave me this big, boyish grin before he handed the kids the stack of plates and they dashed to set the table, then they did the same thing with the cups. Couldn't they do one thing like normal folks?

After the impromptu circus act we all settled down to eat and the usual turtle family antics ensued at the table. Dennis and Amy both reached for the same slice of pizza that was in the box in front of them, of course the biggest one in the box. Guess how that ended. "That's my slice!" Dennis told his sister.

"Nuh uh! I got it first!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

They were about to get into full voice when Raph reached over from where he was sitting next to Dennis and grabbed the slice in question. "It's my slice." He told them, then took a big bite out of it. "And there ain't nuthin you little pipsqueaks can do 'bout it." He said around a mouthful large enough to feed a small army.

"Mommy! Raph took my pizza!" Came at me in stereo.

Leo, who was sitting in between Amy and I, just rolled his eyes and sighed before reaching into another box and grabbed two slices and plopped one each on their plates. "There."

"Hers is bigger." Dennis mumbled.

Leo gave the boy a level look, then took a kunai out and grabbed her slice, threw it up into the air and sliced it down to equal size and it landed onto her plate with a plop while he caught the smaller piece and tossed it into his mouth. "Any other complaints?"

They both blinked, then looked at him. "Do it again!"

I groaned.

"Eat." Leo told them instead.

Dennis then tried to copy Raph and took the biggest bite he could out of his slice. He ended up looking like a damn chipmunk as he tried to chew it. "I like pizza." He then firmly declared once he had managed to get that down without choking himself.

"I never would have guessed." Donnie chuckled.

"I like them better than that yucky broccoli."

"Broccoli is got for you." I told him. "It's not going to kill you to eat it every once in awhile."

"If it's so good for you, then why does Leo shove his under the table and slides it under Mikey's chair when no one is looking?"

Kitchen got awfully quiet as we all turned to look in shock at Leo who had frozen in the act of taking a bite out of his pizza.

"Dude, it was _you_ this whole time!?" Mikey asked incredulously. "I kept wondering where the broccoli came from."

Raph actually chuckled a little. "You actually did something like that? l'm impressed..."

I crossed my arms as I glared at my lover. "l'm not...someone's got a lot of explaining to do..."

"Little snitch." Leo mumbled under his breath and Mikey cracked up laughing.

"I should take that pizza from you and make you eat some damn broccoli soup." I muttered at him.

"I'd like to see you try." Came his reply, then he went to take a bite out of his slice.

I just raise a brow, reached out and snatched the slice from him as his mouth closed and his teeth came together on empty air with a clack. You should have seen the look he gave me. "You little...give me that!" He reached over to take it back and I just pulled it further out of his reach. Which of course made him lean over to grab it from me, and I kept pulling back. That kept going until we both lost our balance and toppled out of the chairs. We both hit the floor, him next to me, and we still played the pizza keep away game until he finally just laid on me, grabbed my arm and took his pizza back. Then he shoved the whole thing into his mouth. He did almost choke on it because by that point we were both laughing our asses off.

"What in the heck did they put in the pizza?" Donnie asked as he shook his head.

"I dunno." Mikey was laughing himself. "But this is some pretty funny shit."

Amy was watching us quietly as she chewed her pizza, then swallowed. "Mommy and Leo don't get no ice cream for dessert. They playing at the table."

"More like playing on the floor." Raph grinned as he watched Leo and I try and control ourselves. Finally we were able to settle down and I wrapped my arms around Leo's neck since we were still down there. "I love you." I told him, still giggling.

"You better." He gave me a peck on the cheek. "Because I just lost my dessert because of you."

I cracked up all over again.


	16. Closing Doors

**Author's note: This one digs deep into Vicky's past, very deep. Those of you who are familiar with her background and know what happened to her as a young girl, and who are...sensitive...to such things may not want to read this. Nothing is graphically described here but it is very strongly hinted at what happened.**

Leo found himself startled awake that night. It wasn't by children or because of his brothers barging into the room to tell him about some crisis going on. He was startled awake because his wife of only a few weeks was tossing more than she normally did. Sleep had always been hard for her to come by, but this was more than that. He knew instinctively something was wrong as he sat up, very wrong.

"Vicky, wake up dear one." He shook her gently, then frowned when she didn't. Her head was whipping back and forth on the pillows, her legs kicking and she was whimpering and crying now, the tears coming as a small flood out of her eyes, soaking the fabric of the pillow case. His unease grew alarmingly when he felt the sheer pain and terror coming from her. "Vicky!" He almost snapped as he shook her harder, still she didn't wake.

"Damn it..." He leaned over her, his eyes searching her face frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. "Come on, wake up..." He brushed his hand across her cheek. It was soaked with tears. She was to the point now where her breathing was very quick as she fought whatever was haunting her. Quick short gasps of panic. Jumbled images were coming across his mind that he couldn't clearly make out, but her fear came over clearly.

Cursing wildly now, he almost went to go get Donnie when something else occurred to him. Their bond had been strengthened when they restored it, they could even see and feel what the other was dreaming. Which was more than likely why she was hitting him so hard. He also knew that if they weren't careful doing it they would wake the other up, hence the reason they didn't do it often. He didn't hesitate now, he wanted her to wake up.

He brought himself lower over her struggling body, barely blocking an arm that came at him, before he placed both of his hands on her cheeks and brought his forehead to hers, closed his eyes and dove in.

He had a decent struggle fight through her pain, her fear and anguish. When he finally did he was greeted with a sight that actually made him coil back for a second, not out of fear, but in pure disgust, not at her, at what he was seeing. He fully understood now why she was so terrified. Her pain washed over him, he could actually feel it as the man loomed over her, doing things to her naked body no little girl should have to go through.

Rage that would rival Raph's worst outbursts took a hold of him then as he pushed the pain away. But this was a memory, he couldn't lash out himself at the figure he saw. He could however do something else. Leo firmly wrapped his mind around hers, using his anger to push through her barrier. Once he had a firm grip on her he pulled her out of that corner of her mind, away from the memory and into a calmer area. Gently he guided her through happier times, times not full of pain and fear. Slowly bringing her closer to him.

After what seemed like ages he opened his eyes. She hadn't made it this far yet. At least her thrashing had stilled, but her eyes were still leaking tears. Leo leaned back a bit to give her the space needed to come around, but he still stayed over her, watching.

Finally, her now red streaked eyes opened, her breath still coming in quick, choking sobs as her body tried to calm down. He was the first thing she saw and she immediately reached out for him. "L-l-le-o-o..." She sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him.

Relieved now, he sat up, pulling her up with him and held her to him. "Shhhh...I'm here." His hand stroked her hair as she clung to him. "I'm here dear one." Her body shook against his as she buried her face into his neck.

He didn't say anything, just held her as his hand kept running through her now tangled hair. He knew that would soothe her, help her calm even more. With a long, shuddering, sigh she lifted her head up and wiped her eyes with her arm, though she still stayed close to him.

"You ok?" He brushed back the tear wet hair out of her face.

"Y-yeah...I think so..." Her eyes still looked haunted however.

"You sure?"

"No..." She admitted in a barely audible whisper.

"Talk to me."

Instead of doing that, she pulled out of his arms before reaching to the nightstand. She pulled out an envelope and handed it to him with a shaking hand. Leo looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he took it, then pulled the paper out and unfolded it. Then he began to read. It didn't take him long to figure out what it was. A victim notification letter from the state it had happened in. "He has a parole hearing coming up?"

She just nodded as she swallowed hard, trying not to cry again.

"When did you get this?"

"T-today."

He looked up from the paper at her. "Are you worried he's going to get out?"

She shook her head no.

"Then what is wrong?" He gently asked her.

Her chin started to tremble as tears filled her eyes again. She tried to tell him, but couldn't form the words. So he did it the other way. Still watching her he slowly pushed in, waiting for her to give him permission. This was one area he had never pried in to see, because he knew how much this pained her. She never offered to show him, until now.

Him personally she didn't fear anymore, that he could tell right away. She wasn't the seven year old little girl anymore and she definitely had advantages on him now. But he had been able to do it, and it was the memories that hurts her now. Even after all this time they still haunt her. What he did to her and what he did to her friend. And every time she gets one of those letters that dark corner gets kicked wide open and it comes flooding out. With shock he realized that this wasn't the first time she had nightmares this severe over it, it was just the first time since he knew her because there hadn't been a letter since before he showed up.

She had known it was coming though. Leo had been catching glimpses of...him and what he did for a few weeks now. Since the bond had been reestablished actually. He was now so deep inside her mind that he got hints of what he did and the pain it caused that she didn't even know she was letting out. Then the letter came and she spent weeks trying to bury it all again. And she went through this every time?

Leo folded the paper back up and put it in the enveloped, carefully thinking as he did. Then he wadded it up in a fit of anger and threw it across the room. She actually flinched at that. "No more." He growled. His eyes met her uncertain ones then. "I'm not going to let you go through this anymore."

"Leo-"

"Hush." He told her firmly and pulled her into his lap. Again he put his hands on her cheeks and brought his head to hers, and again he went inside. She let him without a fight, which was good because he wasn't going to back down from this. He firmly went to that corner she kept hidden even as she shied away from it. He found the memory that he had came in on first, sneered at it, then slammed the door shut hard enough to where she wouldn't be able to open it again. Again and again he did this. Every encounter she had with this monster was blocked off behind a door of his anger and his love. They would never get through and cause these serious nightmares again. And if the door did come down for some reason he would slam it right back up again.

But some things he had to leave, just because they were a part of who Vicky was. He opened another door and met the child Vicky still held dear, the friend who had died at his hands. It was then that he realized that she choose to honor the girl...by naming Amy after her. He quietly backed out of that area, he would leave that. Just as he had to leave the memory of him. She would still know that he did what he did, she just wouldn't have the memories anymore of what he exactly did. He was drained mentally when he pulled back out, but the effort would be worth it.

"What...did...did you do?" She asked him, her face confused as he removed his head from hers.

"Something I wish I would have done earlier." He tiredly replied. He laid back down and pulled her with him. "Get some sleep. This won't happen again."

Despite looking unsure about it, she did nod back off again fairly quickly. Leo watched her a long while, just to make sure those barriers held. He got confirmation on that when she started to smile in her sleep, obviously dreaming something completely different than earlier. With a relieved sigh he settled down himself again but found himself looking at the ceiling.

"Thank you Father." He said quietly, not wanting to wake her again. "I didn't understand these lessons when you taught them to me at the time, but I am grateful for them now." Then he rolled onto his side, pulled Vicky close and allowed himself to drift off.


	17. A new threat, I mean annoyance

We were pulled out of the car and drug into the building, Cris mumbling under her breath with every step as she walked beside me. The armed men surrounding us really not giving us the option to even try and escape. We just endured the best we could as they gave us a push, which made us both stumble a few steps. Cris' eyes flashed with anger as she gave me that look. One I knew all to well. Someone was going to get their ass beat...if we ever got out of here.

Somehow we managed to keep our balance even though our hands were tied behind our backs and they just kept moving us farther into the very upscale house we had been brought to on the outskirts of town. "Smells like fucking weed in here." Cris muttered.

"Just a bit." I wrinkled my nose. "Why everyone likes wacky weed I don't know. Shit stinks."

"Quiet!" They both got snapped at along with another push.

Cris glared at them, her eyes narrowing as we stumbled along again.

We were finally led to a large room that looked like some kind of fancy office and our escort fanned out behind us after we were pushed in. You know the type. Lots of big furniture and fancy shit to accommodate the 3 inch penis complex.

There was a man standing behind the desk, stinking out the whole room with a big cigar as he took a puff on it as we were herded up to him. "Welcome ladies. Welcome to the home of Hawkfly."

"Hawkfly?" I tried not to laugh as I looked at Cris.

"I'm sure you have heard of my sheer awesomeness."

"No...not really." Cris told him as her brow shot up. Was this dude serious?

"Surely you have... Everyone's heard of me."

"Nope." My own had popped up by this point.

"Very well then." He looked a little disappointed. "But I and my Hawk Flyers have heard of you and the medding beasts you hang out with. Rumor has it they aren't even close to being human."

We tuned him out after Hawk Flyers...because we couldn't hold our laughter anymore.

"Oh my god." Cris giggled as a tear ran down her face. "We got caught by the village idiot..."

"I'm not so sure there is a village out there that would claim this idiot." I replied. "They must be pretty desperate if they did." And we cracked up again.

"How dare you mock me!" He puffed another puff on his cigar. "Not such a wise thing to do."

"Buddy...you have no idea on who just did the unwise thing here." Cris smirked at him.

"Not I. I plan to use you two to keep them at bay. Their...interference is costing me a hefty profit. I thought this all out very carefully. And I seriously doubt they can match my intelligence!" He puffed up like some damn peacock or something.

"Ah..." I said as I looked at him like he wasn't all right in the head. "The notorious 'Let's catch the women to use them to blackmail co-operation' idea."

"Like _that_ hasn't been used a thousand time." Cris rolled her eyes.

There was a quick flick across the window behind Hawknuts and I smiled. Cris was the only other one who caught on to it and she gave me a very amused half smile.

"So, please tell me Oh mighty Mr. Hawkfly..." I started. "What happens to us if they don't decide to listen to your...offer?"

"Simple my dear." He puffed again. Damn thing stank as much as the weed did out in the main house. "I kill you."

"I see. And what makes you so sure that you can do that?"

"Because I am smarter, richer and I can get away with it."

"Um...one last question."

"And that would be?"

"What in the hell made you think we would let ourselves get caught by the likes of you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please you peabrain." Cris rolled her eyes at him. "We tangle with Hun and his goons all the time. This little flea circus operation you got going on here ain't nothin'."

"Bud...you just fell for the oldest trick in the book. Did the thought ever occur to you we needed to find your main base of operation, and you just gave it to us?" I added.

"What?"

"Good god...he's dumber than Mikey..." Cris muttered. "Let me clarify it for you. And I'll use real small, easy to understand words." She walked around the desk and stood in front of him, leaning reeeeaaal close to his face. "You. Got. Punked. Punk."

We both leapt into the air bringing our knees up high as our arms came under us and into the front before we landed. Then we effortlessly snapped the ropes that had bound our wrists together. Then Cris' fist lashed out, hitting Hawkfly in the face and he fell backwards, rolling heel over head a few times before he rested against the wall on the far side of the room. "Now I know why Raph likes beating up on Mikey all the time." Cris let out this big grin. "It is kinda satisfying to knock stupid around."

I cracked up even as the windows crashed inward and turtles started flying in. Marina following behind with our weapons which she promptly threw to us.

"How'd ya get past the gate guards?" I asked her curiously as bodies started flying everywhere.

She gave me a nasty grin and lit up her stun knife...then used it like a taser on the guy next to her. He started to do the twitchy dance before she shut it off and he fell to the floor. I cracked up again.

"Well that wasn't very satisfying." Raph muttered as he spun his weapons into their holders.

"Pretty pathetic over all." Donnie agreed.

"Any one hurt?" Leo asked as he looked around.

"They are." Mikey chuckled as he pointed to the knocked out figures all over the room.

Cris had by now walked over to the Mighty Hawkfly, reached out with her hanbo and tapped him on the head a few times to get his attention. He looked up at her, his eyes still a bit dazed. "You might want to think about giving up this line of work." She told him. "Not really suited for it." Then she punched him again, this time knocking him out. "Idiot." She muttered as she turned from him.

"So what's the story with this one?" Leo asked as he nudged the guy with his foot.

Cris and I looked at each other and started laughing uncontrollably. "We'll tell you on the way home." I managed to get out around my laughter as we walked to the window. "You won't believe this shit..."


	18. A Birthday Surprise

For once...I'm going to do something different. Instead of mixing reality with fantasy like I usually do I want to tell you guys something that actually happened.

For starters, for those of you who don't know, Vicky really is me. Her past is mine, her feelings are mine and Dennis and Amy do exist, just under different names. And Amy really was the name of my childhood friend mentioned in my stories numerous times. I do live out in the boonies and my dad does own goats, but we don't have quite as much land as I've made it out to be in the stories. I had to change that part to give the turtles free reign of the place.

Another thing is...I do owe the turtles a lot. That part is very much true as well. Even if they are just fictional figures, they have helped me through some pretty tough times. I will always be grateful for that, even if I can never thank them personally.

In a way they kind of inspired me to write again. I hadn't done it since I was a teen, just couldn't find the time or the interest to do anything. That all changed when the new movie came out, and I stumbled into the world of fan fiction. By pure accident actually. Was looking for something completely different turtle related when Google so kindly redirected me. It caught my interest, I tried a couple of starter stories to get a feel for it...Then "Realities Collide" was born and the boat just kept rowing from there.

So, if Vicky and the children are modeled after real folks...it shouldn't be hard to understand that there are other characters that are also based off of real characters. Honestly, to me, it gives the stories a more real feeling if I keep the feeling real. If that makes any sense.

But before I go any further with that, let me back track a bit here and let you in on how I feel about these guys. Maybe why I write the way I do will also be understood, but the main reason is to make what I will explain later a bit clearer to understand.

I was introduced to them with the 80's series, in a time that was a very dark period for me. Yes, this is the time frame the Amy thing happened and the whole court proceedings were going on. Not a pleasant time for me. But I had found these unusual green turtles. They made me laugh, lifted my spirits when my emotions were pretty much at the lowest point they can get for a little girl. I always held onto that. It was that perfect timing that started a bond so strong that it lasted until well in my adulthood. With each new incarnation of them, they grew and I grew with them.

The 03 series really spoke to me the most though for numerous reasons. As mentioned in my stories, Leo's struggles trying to lead his family seemed to mirror mine. But there were other issues too. Bishop is a villain I have used a lot, just because he seemed to embody all the fucked up shit I've seen in my life. And them having to deal with this twisted fuck only made me relate to the turtles even more. In time it felt like I _knew_ them. Not know them like, Hey! Turtles are on tv! Yay! I _knew_ them, intimately. I may sound weird here, there is really no way to describe this, but that knowledge I felt just kinda kept growing until I finally understood what it was when I started writing.

To me they feel alive. No I don't need to go to a dang loony bin to get evaluated, I know they are fiction. But because I had so related with them, felt so connected with them, when I started writing they just seemed to come to life because to me they were alive. I don't think about what I write when I write for them, it just flows naturally out. When I get writer's block it's more the fact I don't really know where to go with the plot or how to get it moving there, but once that is figured out and the actual interaction starts happening, it's like the story writes itself.

The strange result from this is, I actually love the turtles that are in my head. They are modeled after the 2014 turtles, yes, but this was my version of them and over the course of a few stories and several oneshots this version of them is now firmly embedded in me. When I write emotion filled scenes it literally is how I feel about them. So I guess you could say that they are more to me than just four make believe turtles. Even today they still help me, if I'm struggling with something I'll write about it. I can't tell you how many times I've slipped crap like that into my stories. So these guys are very special to me, very special. Not many out there can fully understand how much these crazy loons in my head mean to me.

Now, most of you know Cris. Well, surprise!, she's a real person too and a very good friend of mine though I didn't meet her like I did in the stories. And guess what...today was my birthday. Now, I already did a birthday oneshot so I really didn't want to do another one, but I really wanted to tell this. Not to brag or anything but because there is a slight twist that is still blowing the hell out of my mind.

Cris decided, after being told not too, to send me a present. Now silly little ol' me was expecting a card or something in the mail because she lives in another state. Not quite what happened there.

At mid afternoon, while my kids are outside running amok and causing terror to the neighborhood, a delivery truck pulls up. Dennis and Amy are out there hooping and hollering all excited to the point I really couldn't understand what they were babbling about when I went to go check. By that point my brother, Jim in the stories, is already signing for the package. Something he does a lot for me if he catches it. But I wasn't expecting it so I didn't think the boxes were for me. Until he came to my house with this long box. Yup...the words "Cris ima kill you..." were uttered.

Anyway I get it inside and sit down to open this strange shaped box, not having any fucking clue on what the hell was in there. So I open the delivery box the whole shebang was wrapped up in. And blue wrapping paper is staring back at me. Suddenly I knew what was in that box before I even opened it any farther. I knew and I started crying. My hands were even trembling as I carefully pulled the blue wrapping paper off and opened another box. Inside was a katana. I lost it. I'm holding this sword in my shaking hands and I'm bawling like a big baby.

That sword meant so much to me, not because it was a cool as fuck sword and I want to start a blade collection, but for what it stood for. Here was something that my favorite turtle smacks enemies around with on a daily basis. Here was something I could actually hold that had some kind of connection to someone I love very much but who exists only in my head. Big thing for me to take in there, but that's how I see this beautiful weapon. It's more than a decoration, more than a weapon, it was a symbol of (sound the cheesy alarm here) hope, strength and friendship because the last few days have been very rough on me. I'm not sure even Cris fully understands what she just gave me.

Now Holly, I know you are reading this too. This does not mean I think of you any less because you didn't get me something. Hell, I never asked for anything and threatened you with bodily harm if you _did_ get me anything. Cris just didn't fucking listen...big surprise there. But you did keep the secret and that's a big thing here in this scenario. Because if you had blurted it out, it would not have had the same impact on me as it did when I opened the box. I hold you both dear for this incident today.

And here folks is the final twist. This is how the conversation generally went after I calmed down enough to talk to Cris later in the evening.

Me: Just out of curiosity...did you choose the wrapping paper color?

Cris: No. I ordered it wrapped but I didn't specify the color.

Me: You're fucking with me right?

Cris: No. I'm not.

Me: It was wrapped in blue wrapping paper...

Both of us: o_O

Me full of wonder: Maybe he _is_ out there...

Cris: Yeah, in the wrapping department.

Facepalm


	19. Role Reversal

This time it was me waking up in the middle of the night to find an empty bed, not Leo.

I had kinda knew already something was bothering him. Even had a small idea of what it may be.

Earlier in the day a turtle marathon had continued on TV that had been running every weekend for about a month now. A different season each weekend was squished into two afternoons of viewing time. Usually these turtle watching sessions that held my two young children captive for hours was met with raised browridge amusement from the real life turtles. This weekend was a bit different.

Those of you familiar with the 03 turtles may understand this a bit more when I tell you that it had finally come time for season four to roll around. And Leo had watched from the background like he usually did. Normally these viewings would be met with banter from the brothers to the annoyed repeated "Shhh!" of my children. Leo didn't participate as the episodes dragged on this time. Instead he grew quieter and more withdrawn as they drug on.

The others didn't notice, but I did. He watched like someone who was staring at a wreck as they passed by. Knowing it was probably serious and you should just keep going...but you just couldn't take your eyes away from it. By the time Leo had exploded on TV at his brothers after the whole Hun plane hijacking/Casey fight on the top of the trucks episode, the real life Leo had quietly walked out.

To be fair, I did try to find him. But I think it's pretty understandable when I couldn't. I've learned before that if he didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be. At that time I hadn't even had the bond yet so I couldn't even track him down that way since this whole ordeal happened while I was pregnant with the twins and I didn't start the bond with him until later.

After walking around for abit, I just sighed as I let my eyes wander the fields and small forests around me. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. I just returned silently back to the house, hoping he wouldn't stay out too long.

It was suppertime when he did finally come home. But whatever he did out there didn't help. His eyes had a haunted look in them as he joined us in the kitchen. He didn't really eat.

"You ok bro?" Mikey asked him.

Leo looked up from the plate, where he just been pushing his food around. "Yeah... I'm...just not hungry tonight I guess." Then he got up and walked out. I frowned slightly at that but his brothers just shrugged it off. Cris was also looking thoughtfully at him as she chewed then met my eyes. I think she knew what I was thinking as I got up and followed him out.

This time when I looked for him I found him already stripped of his gear and laying in bed, arms crossed behind his head as he leaned against the wall, his eye lost in the distance. He didn't even notice that I looked in on him. Another quiet sigh escaped my lips as I quietly closed the door back.

He hadn't moved from that spot when I came back in later after I put the kids to bed.

I think when I tried to slide into bed, very awkwardly due to my protruding battering ram, snapped him out of his daze long enough to help me. Even that was different though. Usually it was me clinging to him when something bothered me. Now he held me close as he leaned me against his chest, still in that sitting position. It was his arms seeking the support. I didn't ask him what was wrong, simply because he wasn't ready to tell me. I just did what I could.

I had nodded off, but apparently he didn't. But before he left the room he did make sure I was tucked warmly in the covers. I now kicked them off. I was about tired of this shit. Something was bothering him and I was going to find out what it was.

The robe came on, wrapped awkwardly around my belly, and I went looking for my mate...again...

He was in my spot. That small little hill I always go to when I feel like stargazing. Again he took my place as he was the one looking up at the stars above us. I quietly approached, but I knew he heard me. Probably because I was very noisy about it with my burden.

"You shouldn't be out here in the dark dear one." His quiet voice came to me as I drew closer. Then, he finally turned to me as he took my hand to steady me as I stepped closer over the uneven ground. "I don't want you to fall."

"Then stop making me worry, and I wouldn't be out here." I calmly told him. Again his arms wrapped around me, tighter than normal as he rested his cheek on top of my head. "What's wrong Leo." It wasn't a question.

He didn't answer, for a long while he kept silent. I was about to ask again when his still quiet voice met my ears. "It still shocks me how much those cartoons are so damn accurate..."

"I thought that may have been what's bothering you." I told him as I looked up at him. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let them watch that with you there. That season doesn't exactly put you in the best light in the first half."

"Maybe not...but it hit spot on..." He held me even tighter, carefully though so he would squish his offspring that was causing a ruckus in my tummy at the moment. He brought a hand over the bumping belly with a soft smile and the wriggling calmed again. "Little one is feisty tonight."

"Little one has been feisty all day." I corrected him as I winced with a final kick. "Now quit trying to change the subject and talk to me."

"I really don't know what to say Vicky." He looked back up again, trying to find some kind of peace from the stars above. "Besides...I've felt the same way he did."

I quietly looked up at him as his eyes wandered over the skies. I knew he was trying to find the words to tell me what he was feeling.

"I know what it's like..." He started again after a few minutes. "To try so hard and still feel like it wasn't enough. To almost lose everyone you care about because you just weren't good enough..."

My head tilted a little at that as my eyes narrowed. "Everyone? Or a certain someone?"

Those blue eyes came back down, and there were tears in them. "Both..." He admitted. "There have been a few times where if sheer dumb luck hadn't intervened, or Father, or even April, Vern and Casey...we wouldn't be here. To have been training for so long, fighting so many times, you would think that things like that wouldn't happen."

"But they still did. And then I come along and complicate matters for you..." Yeah, by then I pretty much heard all about the tranq needle incident in Stockman's lab. "I end up making you face those fears all over again."

He didn't deny it as he still looked at me. I wasn't mad about it though as I calmly looked right back at him. "I saw how he struggled with what had happened." Leo continued. "Felt his pain as he tried to come to terms with it. The way he lashed out at anyone who tried to harm his family and friends. Vicky...that was the exact same things I was feeling the night Bishop took you, and the time you went through that portal. It was that same underlying anger, the guilt... I could do nothing to keep it from happening... I lashed out at my own brothers the same way he did." This time a tear did slide down his cheek.

I just reached up and brushed it away. "Leo, you aren't the only one who saw something of themselves in those episodes. I had my own problems watching them for the first time. And, to be completely honest with you, it's those episodes that set what I felt for you in stone in my heart before I even met you. He felt like he failed as a leader, failed at protecting his family. I felt like I had failed my own. Different scenarios, but I still connected with that on a level I'm not sure you fully understand. If it hadn't been for that story line I'd still be mooning over Mikey. May not sound like a lot, but it's because of that that I feel for you the way I do now. I understand your struggles, because I've lived my own version of it. With time, that connection turned into my own version of love as I watched you grow from that. It gave me strength to keep pushing on myself. That is something I will always be grateful for. And it's also something you still do now. You grow from it. Every failed encounter is learned from and you adjust. And in the end you always turn it back around. Always. And that is one of the things I love about you so much." My hand had by now rested on his cheek. "I love you Leonardo. Your perceived faults about yourself and all. To me you are perfect just the way you are."

His eyes teared up again, and the only reason I noticed that was because his head had came down to kiss me as his arms pulled me close to him again. Then his cheek returned to the top of my head. "I love you Vicky... I don't know how I ever got along without you."

"Probably by kicking someone's ass." I mumbled into his chest and he actually laughed a little at that.

We stood out there, lost in each other's closeness as the minutes ticked by. But the moment was lost when a little someone started practicing their ninjitsu. I winced again as it got a good kick in on my bladder. Great...now I had to pee. "You feel better now?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"Not entirely...but enough to where you don't have to worry about it anymore."

He took my hand then and carefully led me back home, making sure I walked about three feet around any trip hazards. Once he got me safely back inside we went back to bed and, as usual, I was pulled against him as we settled down. "Thank you." He said right before I drifted off.

"For what?"

"For being my comfort."

I smiled up at him. "It's only fair...you do it for me all the time."

"And I always will. But if I catch you wandering out there again in the dark this far along in your pregnancy, I'm going to spank you."

"Oh...shut up!"

His laughter that rang out in the room told me he was already putting his earlier feeling behind him. I smiled as I settled back down, my head resting on his shoulder. It felt nice cheering him up for once.


	20. First Anniversary

I was actually nervous. Very nervous. It was our first anniversary, and this time I wanted to surprise him. And to do that I went way out of my comfort zone. Considering that I wasn't even sure if it would be well received

If you know me, then you know I'm really not much of a girly girl. T-shirts and jeans, sweats or pajama pants are my clothing of choice around the house. I don't own heels, hardly any makeup and even less jewelry. It's just impractical to me and I never set any real worth on those kind of things. But I do have that one skimpy blue silk night shirt...but it really wasn't anything fancy. Because it's literally just an oversized t-shirt...but in silk. Leo loves it though.

Well...I went and bought another one that was a bit more...special. And I was now wearing it as I nervously lit some scented candles around the bedroom. Lavender of course, with a few eucalyptus ones to give it a peculiar mix of scents. Both of our favorites combining into an unusual fragrance, kind of the way we combined into an unusual union. I smiled at that thought as I placed the last candle down. I even had a bottle of wine, which was really out of character for me.

It was literally just a few minutes into our anniversary, and he wasn't home. It had been my turn to stay behind with Caitlin to help with the kids as he and the others went out on patrol. I used that to my advantage and set up just as soon as the kids were all asleep. I knew those sneaky turtles would more than likely come up with something later on for us, but I wanted to do something for him before he even got the chance. I was way overdue in my honest opinion. So I bought this new nightgown weeks ago when I saw it, and the plan formed then already for this. Trying to keep it hidden from him was a decent challenge, but he respected that privacy in my head and stayed out of it. All he did do was give me that knowing half smile with raised eyeridge when he figured out there was an area blocked from him. He figured out Christmases ago on why I did it. Not to mention he did too.

Now I was a nervous wreck as I stood there, looking out the window and waiting. I felt very self conscious in my new nightdress. It was long, reached all the way to my ankles, blue with black lace trim and spaghetti straps. Not really that bad, unless you took in the fact that it hugged my body, was almost see through and had a very long slit running up one side, almost to the hip. It was something I wasn't used to wearing and it was made purely for seduction. I added to that by piling my hair into a soft bun, leaving just a few strands framing my face. Overall, as stated before, way out of my comfort zone, but he was worth the discomfort.

Didn't have to wait long and his presence was felt before he even showed up and I turned nervously to the door. Was actually wringing my hands a little by the time the knob started to turn.

Leo found me as soon as the door opened and his eyes grew wide once he fully took everything in. "Happy anniversary." I told him quietly as I held out a slightly shaking glass to him. I was about to down mine. My anxiety really wasn't subsiding as he stood there, the shock clearly on his face. After a few moments of him gawking at me, he turned and quietly closed the door.

Then the glass almost fell from my hand but it really wasn't my fault. He was suddenly against me as his arms circled hungrily around my waist and he pulled me close for a hard kiss. What shocked me was the low growl that came with it. Somehow the ignored wineglass found it's way to the low bookshelf under my window without spilling as he kept kissing me, his hand now behind my head pushing me to his eager mouth.

Leo finally pulled back for air, his eyes hungry as he looked me over again. He was actually breathing harder as his eyes slowly wandered over me. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to me right now..." His voice came out in a strained whisper.

"You like it?" I asked, a bit embarrassed actually.

My answer was his swords dropping carelessly to the floor. I blinked a little at that. He was usually so careful with them... Couldn't ponder it too much after that because he came back in again, his mouth dominating mine even as he removed anything on him that was in the way of his obvious intention. Was raining all kinds of Leo crap there for a little bit.

Then his hands went back to my body. They ran over the smooth fabric even as his mouth kissed my jawline, nibbled my ear. Possessive growls were coming out of his throat as he pushed me back against the bookshelf. I hit hard enough to shake the thing and the wine bottle almost tumbled to the floor along with both glasses.

I was shocked a bit at his abruptness, but returned his affections just as passionately. By now one of the straps had fallen down over my shoulder and my hair wasn't as pretty as it had been, a few more stands had come loose by that point. Leo noticed and it seemed to strike him again as his breath came in a sharp hiss of arousal.

"Dear one...just when I thought I couldn't want you anymore than I already do..." His hands softly glided over my body, obviously enjoying the feel of the material. And feeling his hands glide over it actually made me shudder with pleasure. "You do something like this..."

"I...wasn't sure you'd...like it..." I admitted to him. "It's not my style really..."

"Let me show you what I see..." He whispered in my ear as then he began to bite my neck. Not nibble...actually bite...

His mind opened up to me and what he saw wasn't a slightly nervous me feeling uncomfortable in something I wasn't used to wearing. He saw someone who had went out of her way to light numerous candles, someone who went and bought wine when she really didn't drink much. An individual who had carefully and thoughtfully put it all together. And he saw a woman who was wearing something so revealing, yet covered just enough to where the mere sight of her sent his need flaring. He saw Vicky dressed for him, waiting for him and ready to love him. He saw his beautiful wife, and he was overcome with desire for her. My eyes grew a bit wider as I realised how hard I actually hit him with this simple little gesture. I thought he was being a bit more rougher than usual, but he was actually holding back. And he was rapidly losing that fight. Ooooooh boy... I was fucked, both figuratively and here in a short bit literally.

As if to verify my findings, his hand slid into the side slit of my gown and hooked a finger into my underwear...and smoothly ripped them off with another growl. "Hey...I just bought those..."

"You can buy more." His rough voice replied. "They were in my way and they had to go." He growled again as he threw them over his shoulder.

That hand came right back in and zeroed right in on those soft folds he just freed. His finger pushed against me so hard I threw my head back with a low cry of pleasure. Then that hungry finger slid back and found that I was already rapidly growing wet down there.

Another approving growl slipped out of his throat before he picked me up and carried me to the bed. He laid down next to me, propping himself up on one elbow before his head came down and set my skin on fire where he began to nibble on my shoulder where the strap had slipped down, even as his hand kept working on me.

I couldn't think straight. I wasn't used to this from him, not used to it at all. But I was enjoying this. Desire and lust was coming strongly from him now. For me. Apparently my nervousness was fully unwarranted. If anything, my get up was having the complete opposite effect of what I was thinking. Who knew that a simple change of attire, some candles and an untasted bottle of wine could have this effect on the normally calm turtle? I sure as hell didn't. This was a whole new side of him I never really saw in him before.

Even in his frenzied state, he carefully took the time to pull the gown up carefully over my hips. Then he spread my thighs and lowered himself over me. He was already out, I could feel his hot, hard flesh against my thigh. By now I was as worked up as he was, practically panting as I waited and ached for him.

"Take me..." I whispered out to him, my groin pushing against him.

"I intend too." He replied, then thrust into me.

He went in deep and hard and my eyes widened as he pushed as far in as he could. Far enough to where his plastron easily hit my clit, sending a double shock through my system. Never, I mean never, had he plunged in like that. Not even the night we restored the bond. I arched under him even as he did it again, just as hard. And kept doing it. Each push thrust his plastron against that sensitive spot even as he went in far enough to border on pain. The pleasure more than outweighed it.

My body was out of my control now. What he was doing washed all thought from me. Even as I opened up to him, all I could do was send him the feelings he was causing inside of me, which drove him on even more. I couldn't even send him an I love you as I squirmed under him. I tried to bring my arms around him, and he pinned them down to the bed even as he went in another time. Being pinned under him like that just added to my own desire. Something about not being able to put my hands on him only made the only part I could feel even more intense.

What little composure I had was quickly being lost as I eventually felt it start to build. I knew it was coming and my cries begged for it. The almost wild look in his eyes focused on mine as he felt it too and pushed me even harder to it, or I was just so close by that point that everything was hypersensitive. Take your pick on those theories...because I sure as hell couldn't rationalize what was happening anymore. All I knew was that he was pounding me, I was loving it, and I was about to explode from it inside.

His own was building by this point and the growl he let out was one of frustration that he was so close. Then he rammed into me again and I spasmed so hard that I actually managed to lift my arms up a bit before he slammed them back down in his own release fueled tension. He pushed us both as far as we could go, he filled me as I lay under him sweating and trying to focus again...and he didn't quit.

Even as I was coming down from that high we had just both shared, he kept on. Not even a hint of him lagging after his orgasm could be detected. The only difference was he let my arms go and lowered his upper body closer to me before slid his forearm under me to bring his hand under my head, then his mouth came in a still hungry kiss. Trapped between his lips and his hand, I returned it. His tongue was just as demanding as his thrusts were as it dominated mine.

I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take. My body was by now covered in sweat, making this new gown cling even more to my body. What little bit it still covered anyway. By now both straps had slipped down far enough to where there really wasn't anything left hidden from him. He took advantage of that to bring his free hand in and claim my breast even as he still claimed my mouth.

He was everywhere it seemed. He was in my body, in my head, on me, kissing me and now his hand squeezed my breast, his thumb and finger pressing hard onto that stiff nub even as his pelvis moved against me again. My senses were all overwhelmed by nothing but Leo. I could feel him, smell him, taste him. If he was driving me wild before, I had no idea how to describe it now. Then he did something he has very rarely done. His head pulled back from my lips and he brought his face close to me and rubbed his cheeks against mine. Marking me as his even as he began to growl again with the need for release. But he was holding back. I could feel that even as he brought his head close to mine. He was waiting for me.

I wasn't quite as ready yet, but he was hitting me hard enough that I wasn't very far off anymore. Again and again his plastron rubbed against me as his member refused to give me peace until I let go.

And he flooded my mind. This time with love more than the more primal feelings from earlier though they were still there. I turned my head to his and met those intense blue eyes as they watched me. Lost in those eyes, my body finally responded and a massive wave hit me. So intense I saw spots in front of my eyes as my mouth opened into a silent scream. A scream that was choked off by the immense feeling. I couldn't breathe as my body shook relentlessly.

He came just as hard, filling me to the point he overflowed inside of me this time. The loud groan that came from him was almost lost as his feelings exploded in my head and mine in his. Our minds clashing and holding onto each other as we rode the waves of this strong current.

I couldn't take it anymore. The sheer intensity of what we just did combined with how hard my orgasm hit the second time pushed me over the edge. "Leo! I love you!" I somehow forced out before another, black, wave hit me and I went limp in his arms, oblivious to everything.

I don't know how long I was out before I started to come around again. Only because I heard him calling me. When my eyes slowly opened he was hovering over me, concern now in his tired eyes as his hand stroked my now very messy hair. It turned quickly to relief when I started to focus in on him. "Happy anniversary..." I mumbled, just because I still couldn't get shit to work right at the moment. Everything felt like jelly. "I guess you liked the present."

"Dear one...I am so sorry..." His hand brushed my cheek. "I-I...just couldn't... Seeing you in that... I... Damn you looked so sexy." He finally spat out.

"That was the whole idea." I told him as I sat up in the still candle lit room. "Wasn't quite expecting that though." I smiled at him. "I guess that's what I get for getting brave."

"Did I hurt you?" He asked as he pulled me into his arms.

"Hurt me? No. Shocked the hell out of me and gave me the ride of my life? Yes sir you did." I looked into his still worried eyes then. "And, this may surprise you...but I liked it."

"That much I could tell." He almost purred as his eyes took on a softer tone, that amused half smile on his lips now. "Happy anniversary, and yes...I did like the present. Thank you." His fingers ran over the silk gown that was now wrapped around my waist. "But I will warn you...wear that again at your own risk."

"I think I will wear it again." I smiled archly at him. "But only for special occasions. Not sure I can handle that reaction all of the time." I carefully pulled off the sweat soaked gown and tossed it into the hamper in the corner. "But it needs a good cleaning first now."

His soft laughter filled my otherwise quiet bedroom before he got up and went to the bookshelf. He retrieved the earlier forgotten glasses and brought them over and handed me one before he rejoined me on the bed. His eyes watched me over the rim of the glass as he took a sip. "I have to admit...I'm curious on what made you think of this."

I just shrugged. "Honestly...I wanted to surprise you with something for once. You surprised me with the wedding, and I wanted to make our first anniversary just as memorable." I looked embarrassed into my own glass I had cupped between my own hands. "Got more than I bargained for on that one though. Raging, lust filled Ninja Turtle was almost more than I could handle." I took my own sip. Gulp actually. I was nervous again for some reason.

"What's wrong?" He calmly asked.

"I'm just not...used to doing something like that." I admitted to him as I met his eyes. Then finished off the glass to his amused expression. "You have no idea how long it took me to build the courage to do that."

He calmly got up again and got the bottle and refilled my glass for me. After he placed it on the nightstand he settled down next to me close enough to where I could lean against him. "If it makes you feel better...I'm not used to losing myself like that." He told me softly. "But dear one...I love you all the more for what you did tonight."

"Just because I bought something new to wear that really got your attention?"

He chuckled. "No love. Because you put your own discomfort aside to show how much you care. Not many do that, and to me that was very special."

"Well... You are special to me Leo." I looked up at him. "You always will be."

Our eyes held for a moment at that, then the glass was taken from my hand and joined the bottle along with his. Then his lips met mine in a soft kiss and I melted against him. That time the pace was gentler, more like he usually is. That time after our climax, that was nothing compared to the earlier one, we both settled down. We really didn't have a choice in the matter really. Our bodies just couldn't keep up anymore, for right now anyway. I was sure there would be more to come later on. It _was_ our anniversary after all. But I wasn't going to wear that nightgown anytime soon. I was sure if I did it would be the death of me. But it sure would be one hell of a way to go though...


	21. A new look

It had finally came out. I had been waiting for the first glimpses of this since the credits rolled at the end of the last movie. And now, it was here. The first movie trailer to the new turtle movie.

Cris came barging in in the middle of me getting Dennis and Amy dressed and demanded I go to the computer. Tried to tell the hard head I had kids to get ready for school, but she insisted. At least she let me pull my daughter's stuff off of the hangers and hand them to her before I got sucked away like someone attached a huge vacuum cleaner to my ass and drug across the house.

After trying to get my crap to work, because me, early mornings and technology really doesn't work out too well, I finally was able to see what had her in such an excited tizzy.

Now living with these goofballs should have dampened my enthusiasm I suppose, but it didn't. I was sitting there, full of childlike glee, clapping my hands and laughing like some simple moron over the boys as they did what they did best...be Ninja Turtles.

I laughed, I clapped, I cried, my hands shook, you name it I was doing it. About the only thing I didn't do was a backflip, and that's only because I didn't want to miss a moment of this pure awesomeness. Then I froze the video, and stared, and stared, and stared some more... Good lord those pants on Leo was doing a number on me... I was restraining myself really hard so I wouldn't drool all over the keyboard.

"And what are you two ladies up too this morning?" Came a question that made me jump about five feet in my chair before I hurriedly closed out the screen.

"N-nothing..." I stammered out a mumble as Cris broke out laughing.

Leo's eyeridge shot up at that as he took in my furiously blushing face and antsy posture. "Well...oooookay then." was all I got before he walked into the kitchen to get a drink. "You are acting like I just caught you watching porn or something."

Cris laughed even harder and I blushed even harder. Leo just shook his head as he finished his drink in the now awkward silent room. "Sometimes I wonder if bringing you two together was a good idea." He smiled fondly.

I still didn't trust myself to speak and rubbed the back of my head in mortification. I took the only out I could at the moment. I got up and grabbed my purse and headed for the door, mumbling something about needing to get groceries before I retreated to the safety of my Jeep. I didn't even care that I was still in my pajama bottoms and house slippers. I just left.

Leo watched me leave at the door, his eyes a bit confused but also amused as I spun my tires out. Cris was next to him, still laughing hysterically.

I was fine by the time I got home, having almost forgotten about my early morning misadventure with a hormonal hotspot. A quiet hum was coming out of my throat as I dealt with the large task putting bout a half a store's worth of groceries away. I was still in a good mood, I mean you just can't wipe the excitement of a new movie coming out with your favorite characters.

"You have been off all day." Leo commented when he came into the living room from the bedroom he had been in. Probably straightening up the sloppy bed I left behind. I really didn't pay attention. I was too busy juggling cans, trying to get them all to fit into the overhead cupboard without them all falling back on me because it was getting full.

That comment of course brought back to the forefront of my mind _why_ I went shopping that morning. I dropped a few cans as my hands shook a bit. "I'm...fine..." I replied as I scrambled to catch them. Yeah...that didn't happen. Leo managed somehow, laughing, to reach around me and catch a few of them. A couple of them still hit the floor though and I grumbled as I knelt down to pick up one that had rolled under the table.

"No, you obviously aren't." His hand came down to offer his help to get back up, and I took it.

And when I stood up and turned to face him, the cans got dropped back to the floor again. "Oooohhh...my..." He was standing in front of me in the almost exact same setup as in the trailer clip, minus the wrap he wore around his waist and his harness. I bit my bottom lip, hard, at the sight of those belts slung around his hips. They weren't there to hold up his damn pants. Oh hell no. That's not what they were made for I decided at that moment. Those belts had been made to drive me up the wall with the way they lazily seemed to hang there, as if daring gravity to go ahead and pull those pants down. And add on to that the effect of his bare chest into the mix and I was, well...yeah...drooling.

His eye ridge came up as amusement twinkled in his eyes. "Is there something?"

I hard to clear my throat, a few times. "N-nice look..."

"You think so? I kind of like it myself." Damn him and that teasing smile he gave me! "It seems it caught your eye."

Fuck the rest of the groceries. I grabbed him by one of those belts and pulled him towards me as my other hand went up his shoulder and around his neck, pulling his head down. I met those lips hard as I moved backwards towards the kitchen counter, pulling him along with me. Once that had been taken care of, my arm swept behind me and cleared off a spot, by sending everything to the floor.

I wouldn't let him more than a few inches away from me as one hand held his face close to mine and the other went from vacating the food to undoing those teasing belts, then the pants themselves.

"Someone is a little feisty today." Leo's quiet voice rumbled in my ear, before he liberated me from my own meddlesome, pain in the ass, in the way garments. Modesty was so overrated and inconvenient sometimes. His hands slid my pants down and dropped them to the floor even as I firmly opened his. Then, without any effort on his part, he lifted me onto the counter and placed himself between my legs.

"It's your fault I am." I almost growled back at him, even as I pulled him closer.

"Good, then the effort wasn't wasted." He wrapped an arm around my lower back, braced himself on the counter with his other hand, and pushed in.

My head flew back as he slid his hard member in and began a firm pace. His face was buried in my neck, kissing it with those lips that could send chills and fire through my veins at the same time as my hands grabbed onto his pants and used them to pull him harder against me.

He complied and thrust in harder causing a loud moan from me to echo throughout the kitchen. It still wasn't enough to satisfy my hard appetite for him. A frustrated whimper sounded out next as I tried to force him in deeper by pushing against him.

Leo seemed to sense what I needed from him, because he kicked stuff out of the way the cluttered the floor around us, picked me up turned around and lowered us to the floor with his shell leaning against the cabinets before repositioned me back over him again. Then I rode the fuck out of him...literally.

I can't tell you the last time I was that worked up, not even sure I ever did go to that point I was with Leo at that moment. My body was demanding I take him as deep as I could, and I let my need guide me. He seemed a little shocked at my insistent demeanor, something I really wasn't known for, but he didn't protest it. As a matter of fact, if his own churrs were telling me anything, it was that he was definitely _not_ complaining.

His grip on my hips was firm before he slid those hands up and around my back, pulling me close to him. One found it's way into my hair and our lips met in a hard kiss. A kiss that vibrated with a loud moan from him when I came down on him again, hard. His arms spasmed around me as his neck arched his head back. Another moan came through clenched teeth, a long and loud one as he let himself flow inside of me. His whole body shook with the intensity of his orgasm and he trust his pelvis up to me just as hard as I came down, which sent me over the edge. My arms wrapped around his neck as I buried my face in it. My scream muffled by his sweating flesh.

I leaned against him in a pleasure filled daze for a long while as our bodies settled down. He was just as relaxed as I now was with his arms now loosely wrapped around my hips and his cheek resting against my head. I sighed with content when I felt his thumbs lightly brushing my skin, sending small waves of comfort though my body. I just sighed again and snuggled deeper against him.

It took quite a while for me to finally get the strength back to lift my head up and look into those blue eyes. "How you can make wearing a simple pair of pants look so damn sexy, I don't know."

"If you can't handle it, I could always go back to wearing my old stuff."

"The hell you will!"

His body shook with his soft laughter. "I'm not so sure this is safe to wear around you."

"Deal with it. I like this look better."

"I noticed."

"Tell you what...you keep the new outfit, and I promise to try and not molest you...too much."

He laughed again and moved me off of him, ignoring my pout that formed because of it. "Deal."

I happily beamed a big smile at him and he laughed for a third time as he helped me to my feet. I lost that smile when I looked around my kitchen floor. "We made a mess."

"We? You're the one who threw it on the floor."

"Still, it's all you're fault."

"Says who?"

"I do. Because I'm the woman and I'm always right."

That ended up getting my pants thrown into my face he had just picked up for me. I stuck my tongue out at him before getting dressed again and got an eyeroll in return. Then we both went on the search to find the cans I hadn't managed to put away yet, two somehow made it all the way to the living room, and cleaning up all the other crap. The eggs, thank god, had been just out of harms way but the bread hadn't been so lucky and got nicely squished. And how in the hell did the bag of sugar not break on floor contact? One of those small mysteries of life I guess.

Took us a bit, but soon enough my kitchen was back in order again. Leo put the broom back and looked around. "Note to self, no more sex in the kitchen after grocery shopping. That was more tiring than what caused the mess in the first place."

I got that dreamy look on my face as I sighed while remembering. "Yeah...but it was sooooo worth it..."

He just gave me that amused half smile as he walked over and wrapped his arms around me. "I do have to agree."

"Still your fault though."

He groaned and this time the kitchen was filled with the sound of my laughter. Lord I loved this turtle.

 **Author's note: ok guys, seriously...you knew something like this was coming with the release of the new trailer :D Mmmm my story hubby looks so handsome...(slaps self) ok, I'm good. maybe... damn it... Leo! You up for round two?**


	22. A mad dash for love

My eyes narrowed as I took the situation in. It wasn't a good one. There were a large amount of bodies between me and my target, and I didn't have much time. I ended up cursing my typical bad luck as I scanned the area, trying to plan the best course of action in this situation. Almost immediately I came to the conclusion that a frontal rush would be the best solution here. I took a deep breath to steady myself, then took off in a run.

Using the agility I had spent countless hours training, I easily dodge through the mass of bodies in front of me. The old lady pushing the shopping cart was a bit of a problem but I solved that by just vaulting over it, to her opened mouth shock. I ignored it as I kept going. I had more important matters on my mind. That buxom blonde bimbo was getting too close and I had a lot of ground to make up. She knew I was coming too but she got hung up in her own rush of bodies. I smirked at her as I pulled ahead, and that promptly earned me a faceplant with an end of aisle display that I didn't see. Of course if I had been watching where I was going...

I rolled back to my feet leaving the tipped over shelving unit and it's contents where it fell, flipped over another cart pushing customer and hit the floor running. Cursing the mistake of talking on the phone on the way in about what I was wanting to get. And then seeing even from across the store that there was only one left. And this bitch thought it would be a good idea to get it too all of a sudden. Dumb broad...just couldn't come up with her own idea and had to steal mine. I knew that's what she was wanting to do as soon as I saw her eyes light up. And with a "Hell fucking no!" the chase was on.

Great...now there were two carts in front of me, both spaced out a bit apart. I would lose time if I tried to do a double jump or tried to weave my way around them. In a split second I chose another route. I flipped up onto the top of the shelves, my feet knocking everything over off of the cluttered thing, running along it to the delightful squeal of the toddler in one of the carts that caught sight of me. Of course by the time his mother turned to see what had him giggling away I was already past them.

My eyes narrowed when I noticed that smackaho was closer than me and I put on some more speed, stepped off of the edge of the shelf and landed in front of her right before she reached out to grab it. With an immense feeling of triumph my hands landed on it first and I picked it up and held on tight. Then I turned and gave her the most evil grin I could before I sauntered off to the checkout counter. This was my Valentine's present dammit and I was going to give it to Leo.

I quickly lost my smug feeling when I turned and noticed the destruction I left behind me. Ooops... I took the long way around, hit the self checkout counter and hauled ass outta there right about the time a few cop cars pulled in. Well...I wasn't coming back to this store again. Didn't bother me a bit though as I clutched my prize and slipped into my Jeep and headed home before they even got out of the patrol car. I'd have to ask Donnie, on the sly, to see if he could erase all the evidence this little mishap caused. You know, the video feeds, police reports...shit like that.

It was with a large feeling of relief when I finally made it home, to find Cris and Marina waiting for me by the door. Both of them were looking at me as if they had just spent a large amount of time laughing at me.

"What?" I asked my chuckling friends as I slipped out of the Jeep.

"Did it ever occur to you to hang up the phone before you went on your rampage?" Cris asked me back.

"Huh?"

"We heard it all." Marna laughed. "Cris put it on speaker phone. Donnie is already working on cleaning up your mess."

"Oh..." I blushed. Ok...so I wouldn't ask him on the sly. "Leo doesn't know...does he?"

"No." Cris grinned. "He was in the lair meditating. Still is actually. You're off the hook on that one...for now. Well, let's see it. It better be worth the effort you put in to get it."

I sheepishly opened the back door and carefully pulled it out.

"Oh Vicky... It's perfect for him." Marina's eyes actually misted up a little and Cris quietly nodded her agreement.

I blushed again at their reaction as I carefully brought it into the house. "I'm...going to bring it to him now. Nowhere really to hide it for later and he's in the right spot for me to give it to him."

Cris smiled. "You go do that."

So I did. I walked through my house, trying not to pay Donnie any attention as he gave me a quick glare as he muttered and worked, and into the lair. My footsteps carried me towards the dojo, through it and to the little room adjoining it where he usually meditated when he didn't sit in his father's room. I hesitantly brought up a hand and knocked on the doorframe as the other held the present close to me.

Leo sat cross legged on a mat in the dim room, his eyes closed and his face softly lit by the scented candles that flickered on the low table in front of him. "Come in dear one." His blue eyes opened.

I looked around the room that was otherwise bare of furnishings. Leo never really did need much so his meditation area was just as bare as his room was. "I have something for you."

His head tilted curiously as he noticed the item I was carrying. "A picture by the looks of it." He got to his feet.

I nodded and turned the large frame around so he could see as I held it out to him. "Happy Valentine's Day. I know it's not the typical Valentine's gift, but I didn't want to get you some cheesy ass teddy bear stuffed in a mug... I wanted to give you something special."

His eyes grew wide as he took it from me, then they took in every detail of the Japanese painting I had found...and trashed a department store to get. He held it with one hand and ran the fingers of the other over the pristine landscape pinned under the glass, the colors mixed perfectly to highlight the mountains in the background, the forests on each side and the quiet little village tucked in the middle field. Even the clouds were perfect and seemed to float across the painting. Then those eyes looked at me.

"I...I thought it would be nice to hang it in here... Give you something pretty to look at if you can't sett-"

He cut me off with a kiss after he pulled me too him, careful to keep the painting out to the side. That went on for a minute or two. Was a little busy to keep track of the time there.

"Thank you Vicky." He told me when he finally gave me a chance to breathe again. Leo then turned and carefully placed it on the low table between the candles and leaned it against the wall. Then he stepped back to look at it as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. "It's perfect."

"I did good?" I smiled the question at him.

"Very good." He smiled back. Then an eyeridge came up. "But did you really have to destroy the houseware section of the store to get it?"

My jaw dropped open. How did he...

 _'You forgot to shut some memories out dear one.'_

God damn it...

His laughter filled the room then as he turned me to him and pulled me into a hug. "Oh Vicky... I do love you."

"I hope so. Otherwise I'm going to end up on America's most wanted for nothing..."

Leo chuckled as he shook his head in amusement.

"I'll go pester Donnie for a hammer and nails." I tried to leave the room, only to have him pull me back to him.

I squeaked in startlement as he spun me back around, then I shivered when I noticed that look in his eyes. "That can wait..." He murmured. His mouth came in again for another kiss even as his hand reached behind me to close the door. Right after that Leo guided me to the mat, the first churr of many filling the room.

Leo's meditation room was used for something besides meditation that afternoon. The painting bearing silent witness to our love making as our candlelit reflections mirrored off of the glass. A perfectly beautiful painting that was almost as perfectly beautiful as the love we shared for each other.


	23. The Prank

**Author's note: Ok folks. I usually don't do this...but this shit is too funny... Made me spit my drink all over my computer... Credit for this wonderful oneshot goes to Autobot Aftershock. She wrote it out and sent it to me, so it is with her permission I'm posting this. The OC's used here are hers and the story is told in the perspective of their leader, Starstriker. Pay close attention folks...you may see these toons again in the future... And if you have been following my videos...you already have seen them. I'll let you figure out which videos ;)**

The prank

So, Lennox had the bright idea of letting the Elementals stay back instead of going in on a mission, telling us to just "take it easy." We don't know how to do that. So, naturally, it was time to raise hell.

"What do you want to do?" Inferna groaned.

I looked at her, thinking for a moment or two. "Alright. If I alter the ground bridge to be a dimension hopper, where would we go?"

"Oooh, shattered glass dimension?" Starblast suggested.

I shook my head at that one, nothing to do that would be fun there. Just a bunch of ass holes.

"Hmm, a Dimension where Hogwarts exists?" Ariel suggested.

"Maybe do that one on your own time. Oh! I read a thing, where they did a dimension hop and found some dark Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." I offered, wiggling my eyebrows.

"And you want to troll them?" Inferna asked, sounding interested.

"Well, they are pretty big headed and quite the douche bags."

"I'm game!" Inferna raised her hand. If she loved anything, it would be putting someone in their place.

"You sure we're not going to mess anything up?" Clayshah asked, sounding skeptical.

A plan ran through my head, a mischievous smile made its was to my face.

"For what I just planned about 7 seconds ago, these guys work for the Shredder. We can totally use this to our advantage, faces covered and no powers."

"Meh, fuck it, I'm in." Clayshah shrugged. We were all just so bored so why the hell not?

"Meet me in the control room in 20, Starblast, I need you to get some Arizona teas." The light goddess nodded, brow raised but I know she wanted to know what I was up to. We all broke apart.

 ***20 minutes later***

Starblast quickly handed out all the Arizonas to everyone and we hid them in our bags. I was so excited to do this, it is going to be funny!

"Alright, so the plan is, we are going to travel to the point and time where Shredder is giving his: "take over the world" speech and well, we are going to troll it. He is giving the speech in a large theater type place, enough for a lot of people, but discreet enough to not get attention. You guys know the audial setting in those?"

The girls looked at me curiously.

"They are set up so you could hear someone from the very back open a piece of candy in a wrapper, they do that so the music blends better and everyone can hear when orchestras or symphonies play, it is an engineering masterpiece really that room." I nodded, kind of zoning out for a second, lost in thought.

"Anyway, so guess what he'll be able to hear?"

It clicked with the girls, and they all smirked at my plan.

"Add the fact that everyone will be way too scared to talk for that exact reason, we have a perfect opportunity to raise hell."

Elementals all smirked.

"Come on let's go!" Inferna dragged Aquarius and I towards the ground bridge controls. I placed a hand on it, willing it to do some tweaking.

Then, Clayshah activated it and we all ran through to the other side. "I've always wanted to see New York so this really is a win, win."

We all quickly ran to the theater we knew the speech was going to be said in, sure enough, large groups wearing full foot clan garb were going in.

"Move fast, grab what you need!"

The elementals quickly knocked a few foot soldiers out, they were minors in the ranks so they didn't kill them like they usually would with bad guys. They quickly put their gear on.

"Smells like rotten cheese and ketchup" Inferna huffed.

"That's a little unsettling" Aquarius sounded amused nonetheless. We all grouped in, and packed into the theater, taking a look around.

"Try to stay close to the door, chances are this is going to end with us hightailing it out of here."

"I really like the sound of where this is going." Inferna laughed.

We all took seats near the stage but far enough back where we could make our escape. We were all spread out, doing everything we could not to giggle.

The Shredder made an elaborate entrance with the dark and evil looking Ninja Turtles. I had to just shake my head at them. They weren't made for this bull shit, but meh, maybe a reality check in the future was coming for them. I just really hope they would stop doing what they were doing. It was just not right on so many levels, and I just knew they were unhappy with themselves.

"Greetings, loyal servants of mine!" The Shredder voiced. Before he could get another word a very loud snap, click, hiss of an Arizona tea can opening, Clayshah was trying not to giggle.

Shredder looked in the direction, but it was hard to pinpoint who did it, everything echoed, he looked at Donatello. The turtle nodded and made his way into the audience, stalking around to find out who did it.

"As you all know, I have indeed created a plan to dominate the world, I will take precautions and exceed in different methods where others have failed." He paused to look at everyone, another loud: Clack, pop, hiss bounced along the walls, followed by a giggle. The shredder turns a seething glare at the turtles, Mikey went to go scout for the perpetrator this time, the two turtles kept searching. Ariel casually put the can down where no one could see it.

After the Shredder was sure no more interruptions would occur, he began his speech again, throughout it 3 more can openings occurred, then finally, I was the last one.

"After we begin the chain reaction. The world's leaders will go into a war with each other" tss. Click, snap. He tried to ignore it, cute, his turtles just weren't able to find us yet, there were six of us and only four of them.

"And while the countries cripple each other-" SLUUUUURP.

The Shredder shook with anger, looking at the turtles. They quickly moved to go find me and giggle sounded again. Goofy Clayshah.

"While they cripple each other, we will take heat of the moment, and cripple them further, and reign supreme!" The shredder finished.

"Ha! Gayyyyy!" Inferna yelled. A bunch of different giggling radiated everywhere, the elementals were cracking up, it was even more funny.

"You give me eggroll, me love you long time!" I could hear Starblast.

That took a lot out of me not to laugh, I had to be careful, Leo was getting close on me. There was more laughter. The Shredder, you couldn't see his face, but man was that guy getting pissed.

He was shaking, and further snapping at the dark turtles, who were becoming frustrated and frantic themselves. But the sound was traveling too much, they just couldn't pinpoint the trouble makers.

"Your plan sucks! And you are Cliché!" Clayshah voiced.

I muffled my laughter from that one, then turned my attention to the black banded Leonardo. Here his master was about to rip throats out, including his, and this pig stopped on a female foot soldier. You couldn't see her face but you could tell she was uncomfortable, and a female, her uniform outlined her figure. Leo was giving her a creepy/hungry look and she was at the point of trembling, desperately trying to seem unafraid.

So what do I do? Glad you asked, I turn around and throw my 90% still full Arizona at his head and quickly turn around. Smiling at the loud smacking sound, I thought I got the upper hand but when I looked up his large fists were above me, he looked like Donkey kong about to smash a barrel.

"Oh shit!" I dove out of the way and saw my chair was smashed to pieces, like, it was flattened. "Time to go ladies!"

"Get them!" Shredder snarled.

Inferna saw Raph a row below her, smirked under her mask and closed in on him, shouting "For mother Russia!" She moved quickly to Spartan kick his ass over a row of chairs making him trip and do a somersault over another row. Luckily, by now, people were up and watching wide eyed. Well, I was assuming, I couldn't see their eyes anyway.

"Go!" I yelled. Everyone started to scramble so we mixed in with the rush but then exited instead of continued the search like Shredder ordered the foot guys to. But we didn't go unnoticed, an angry flash ran through Raph's eyes and the usually red masked turtle chased us down with his brothers.

"Oh-shit-oh-shit-oh-shit!" I yelled, regardless, we were all having a great ol' time running down the halls and laughing while the 4 reptile bulls were chasing us.

"Think they're mad?" Inferna was laughing so hard she was almost wheezing.

"Naw bro, they peach" I responded.

Aquarius, holy crap, I thought I was going to have to carry her, I have never seen her laugh that hard in my life.

"Incoming, oversized load behind us!" Starblast voiced as we ran by some foot, that brought up more laughter, how we were managing to do as much laughing as we were and to still outrun them was way beyond me.

Finally Leonardo was able to get close enough to us, jump off of a wall and jump in front of us, Inferna met the blow he tried to give me, catching it.

"Dude!" I hissed. We weren't supposed to be nearly as fast as them let alone as strong as them. Inferna saw her error, after she stared at Leo for a couple seconds, she gripped her hand as if she hurt herself

"Ahhh. Oww, this gringo is crazy, ah. My wrist-run" We all ran again. The turtles were kind of in shock at the scene, but their anger immediately came back when we started to run.

"Fucking window, fucking window, fucking window" yeaaaah. We crashed through the window… Luckily, we were only on a first floor. We hid behind an alley way, I so know we didn't lose them, they were made for tracking, they would find us in no time.

"I'll go check things out" Inferna said. She moved along a wall, then made her way down the Ally, but within minute, a loud crunching and what sounding like rolling metal mass was heard. Inferna ran by us saying:

"Ohgodohgodohgodohgod" a barrel rolling car following her that Raph threw.

"I think they are still pissed..." We took a detour to meet up with her, then we really ran, we had our fun, it was time to leave. Besides, we were going to be giving them a wild goose chase after we vanished. They wouldn't be able to keep up with us at the pacing we were now running, after we got some good distance the ground bridge was activated and we ran through.

The green portal closed behind us, then we released a roar of laughter. Oh that was great, best idea ever. We all took the masks off, snickering and laughing still, trying to get over the craziness, it was freaking great.

"What have you guys been doing?" All the girls and I turn towards Lennox, but he wasn't alone. Nemesis Prime was with him.

"Nothing." I quickly said.

"Is that so? Last time I checked, the foot soldiers from the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" show you love and make me watch wore that exact gear." Nemesis narrowed his optics at me, I looked at my outfit. This plan could have gone over a little better in the ending, but meh, what could you do?

"You're right, I shouldn't be wearing it. Want to help me take it off?" I smiled innocently at him, making sure to bite my lip. he glared at me for a good, several seconds. I could feel his internal battle over the bond, but I could also feel how he liked how tight the uniform was on me. Then finally, he kneeled down and held a hand out, he was angry at himself for giving in. It was hilarious, but it appears this night is going to be a win, win, win. Until morning where he makes me tell him everything and then lecture me, but until then I win haha!


	24. Be careful what you dream for

It was late when Leo and his brothers finally called it a night, but not as late as it usually gets on their patrols. They stood on the rooftop and watched as the police rounded up another group of Purple Dragons. This one had been trying to rob a jewelry store, and made the mistake of picking one that was in the path of the secret turtle patrol.

Mikey was calmly leaning against the parapet as a few of the more feisty ones, or stubborn depending on your point of view, were loaded up into ambulances. "That was about five minutes worth of fun...for us. Going to be a few months of recovery for them though."

Leo just grunted in agreement as his eyes looked over the city he called home.

"What's wrong with you?" Raph asked him. "You've been a bit moody all night."

"Yeah bro," Mikey chipped in "usually the grunts and growls are Raph's preferred method of communication."

Leo didn't even turn his head at the sound of the smack, or the "Ow!" that followed. "Knock it off."

"I'll knock _him_ off." Raph muttered in reply.

Donnie stepped next to Leo's side and joined his brother as the elder turtle looked out. "So, what is bothering you Leo?"

Leo sighed slightly before he answered. "I can't say anything is really bothering me... It's just, something feels off tonight."

Donnie raised an amused ridge at Leo as he took that in. "Ah. They aren't out with us tonight and it's throwing you for a loop."

"I've gotten so used to having at least a couple of them out with us Donnie."

Mikey walked up to Leo's other side, a wide grin on his boyish face. "Dude...you got so spoiled. So used to having them out here with us that you've forgotten what a guys night out feels like. You are seriously pussywhipped."

Mikey was hand whipped when Leo's hand connected with the back of his head. "Ow!" The youngest said for the second time in under five minutes.

"Serves you right." Raph told him in a smug voice.

Leo turned from the scene below. There wasn't anything going on down there anymore since the last vehicle had just pulled away. "Let's just go back."

Mikey stopped and looked at his brother incredulously. "Back? Dude...we haven't even been out that long. We used to stay out way later than this."

Leo didn't stop his strides, that he was aiming for home. "Mikey, they are at home with sick children, your daughter included. I think we've had enough of our trip to how things used to be and need to go back and help with the way things are now."

"Besides," Donnie added in a knowing tone "his heart isn't into it tonight."

Leo just shrugged, not denying that in the least.

The way home was uneventful and they walked into a surprisingly quiet lair. The only one up was Cris who had a very sick four year old Thane sleeping in her arms on the couch.

Raph immediately went to them. "How's he feeling?"

"Better. He was able to keep some soup down tonight. They all did surprisingly." She smiled at Mikey. "And Ari was putting up her usual bathtime fight again. Caitlin had a hell of a time washing her hair. I think this stomach bug is starting to migrate elsewhere."

"The rest of them in bed?" Donnie asked her as he unslung his pack and placed it in the corner.

Cris nodded as Raph gently picked Thane up. "Yeah, they we all still tuckered out and settled down pretty quick."

"That's a first." Raph chuckled. Then silenced that chuckle when Thane opened his sleepy eyes. "Hey buddy. You feeling a bit better?"

"A little. Tummy still icky."

"It's going to be for a few more days. That was a nasty bug that bit you."

"Stupid icky bug..."

Leo raised a ridge in amusement. Stupid icky bug indeed.

He went down the long hall where they were tunneling out more rooms for the kids and stopped at the one that Ty and Lavi were temporarily sharing until Lavi's was done. He carefully opened the door and walked in as Raph passed him to take Thane to bed.

A smile found it's way onto his face when he noticed that Ty had crawled out of his bed and snuck into his sister's. Both now a pile of arms and legs tangled up in the lavender colored comforter. And the whole mass was mere inches from falling onto the floor.

Quietly he walked into the nightlight lit room and moved over to the bed and gently untangled his children before placing them in a more secure spot. Even as cautious as he was, two sets of blue/brown eyes opened to look sleepily at him.

"Hi Daddy." Lavi rubbed her eyes.

"Hey turtle dove." He brushed the hair out of her face as his daughter sat up. "I heard you are feeling a little better."

Her answer was to hold her arms out for him. "I want huggy."

"I guess you can have a huggy." Leo sat on her bed and took his daughter in his arms. He held her close to him for a few moments, noticing as he did that she didn't feel so warm to the touch anymore. Her fever seemed to finally be going down. Then he looked at Ty. "You want one too?"

"Huggys are for girls." Came the matter of fact answer.

Leo had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Especially since he caught the tough turtle tot begging his mother for one right before they left for patrol. When Ty thought no one was looking of course.

Lavi had by that point squirmed around until she was sitting on his lap, her head resting against his plastron. Even Ty had maneuvered himself to where Leo could at least put an arm around his shoulders. It wasn't technically a hug Leo supposed, which was why it was allowed.

The quiet moment was ruined when Donnie walked in, medicine in one hand and thermometer in the other. Both kids groaned at the sight of him.

"Not that yucky stuff again..." Ty complained.

"That yucky stuff will help you get better." Donnie told the now pouting boy as he knelt down next to the bed. Then he firmly handed Ty his dose of it.

Ty looked up at Leo. "Daddy..." He whined.

"Take it." Came the answer the little boy didn't want to hear.

Outnumbered now, Ty pouted as he took the cup from his uncle, drank it and made a grossly exaggerated disgusted face complete with fake gags after he downed it. Leo could tell his brother was trying just as hard not to laugh as he was. Lavi took her dose with a bit more grace, just wrinkling her nose at the taste.

Once that was out of the way, Donnie took their temperature and looked very pleased with the results. "Fever isn't so high anymore." He smiled at his nephew. "You won't have to take that yucky medicine too much longer."

"Yay!"

Donnie got back to his feet with a smile and chuckled on his way out the door.

Leo himself scooted back on the bed until he could lean against the wall. He didn't have a choice really since his daughter had placed her head against him again. Not that he minded anyway. Leo even shifted her around until she was in a more comfortable position and his arm held her in place. Ty forgot about his earlier declaration and snuggled up against Leo's side. In moments they were fast asleep again.

He just sat there with them for awhile, quietly watching them sleep. Like he had done with their mother so many times as she slept peacefully in his arms. Here he felt what had been missing out on patrol tonight, he felt content. Even if his kids were sick, he would still rather be here than out there.

This time when he moved them back into secure sleeping positions, well away from the edge of the bed and any threat of an unwanted tumble to the floor, they didn't wake up. Not even when he placed soft kisses on their heads as he covered them back up. The large turtle then exited the room just as quietly as he slipped in.

His next stop was the shower, a long, hot, drawn out shower both to relax him and to get the night's accumulated dirt, grime and sweat off. By the time he stepped out and dried off, he was more than ready to settle down for the night.

Finally, Leo made his way to the room he had in the lair, because that's where Vicky was sleeping tonight, so she could be near the twins if they needed her. The tired ninja was hoping she was having a restful night instead of restless one. Lord knows she needed it after the last few days of constant throwing up and tummyache cries.

It wasn't until he closed the door behind him when he was abruptly told she wasn't getting it, and he was told in a way he really wasn't expecting. The strong, sharp smell of her arousal hit his nostrils even as the slight moan reached his ears. His head whipped around to her as her head pushed into the pillow, her groin lightly moving as her hands clutched the comforter that covered her. Even as he watched, with a slight chill of his own arousal running down his spine, she moaned again as her head turned on the pillow. It only took him a moment to figure out she was dreaming, and it obviously wasn't a nightmare this time.

Leo moved closer to the bed, his eyes watching her as her head leaned back, her eyes clenched shut. Another moan came from her lips and he suddenly found himself growing uncomfortably hard as she kept pushing against his visual and nasal senses. He could barely restrain himself as he stripped his shorts off before climbing into the bed next to her.

Desire was rapidly filling him now and he was forced to free himself from his slit, a churr escaping him as he did. He leaned over her, a wanting look would have been seen if she had been awake. But she wasn't. Leo had to firmly remind himself of that. She was not in control of herself and he would not force himself on her in this state, but he did watch her.

"Oh...Leo..." Came from her in a whimpering moan. "Leo..."

He was startled at first, but then smiled a little. Apparently she wasn't missing his presence _too_ much tonight.

His head lowered to that call, taking a moment to gently rub his cheek against hers before his mouth stopped next to her ear. "I must be doing something right in there." Leo murmured quietly into that ear.

Still in the throes of her dream her head tilted a little towards him. "Can't...handle...two of you..." She whispered out.

 _That_ made his ridges shoot up. What in the heck was she doing in there? Having an orgy? And here he was, stuck on the outside and having to watch...

He laughed quietly at her predicament as he pulled his head back then rubbed his cheek on her other side, again stopping with his lips close to her ear. "What's the matter dear one? One of me isn't enough anymore?"

The answer he got that time was her groin pushing against his already hard member, and that caused his head to drop on her shoulder as another churr, a louder one, escaped him. Lord, this was torture to watch her, but at the same time very arousing. He was seriously contemplating if he should wake her up by that point.

She saved him from that dilemma however. Her eyes opened as he lifted his head up and looked at him a moment, blinking through her sleep clouded eyes. Once she realized it was the real him hovering over her and not the dream him, Vicky's face turned beet red. Clearly visible even in the dark room.

He raised a ridge at her, a small half smile forming on his lips. "Having fun in there?"

She blushed even harder and couldn't look him in the eye.

Leo leaned in and kissed her neck so she wouldn't have too...and because he couldn't resist anymore. "So...you feel like telling me what was going on? Never seen you get so worked up like that before."

"Not really..." Came her barely audible embarrassed voice.

But Vicky couldn't block out the image quick enough that came to him. She indeed had dreamt of two of him. She was straddling one who was in a sitting position, riding him, while her torso was leaned against the other who was kneeling behind her, and that one's hands were very busy on certain sensitive spots on her body. Interesting...

"Did you like it?"

Vicky blushed again and bit her lip, but she didn't deny it.

"Why the embarrassment love? It was just a dream." His hand slid down her side, pulling the comforter out of the way as it made it's way downward.

"I...don't want you to think I'm some kinky freak or something..." Her eyes closed at the feeling of his hand sliding back up her leg to pull her underwear down.

"Never would I think that..." His lips pressed gently against her neck as his fingers probed her folds, that were very slick with her moisture. She had obviously been very worked up. She still was if her eager moan was anything to go by.

Leo sat up and gently pulled her up with him. His eyes met hers and held them as his hands again wandered over her skin, this time to pull the large T-shirt she was wearing over her head. That was then soon tossed to the floor before his lips wandered to her neck again, gently grazing that soft skin while his fingertips slid along her now bare sides.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to get you worked up..." Her voice trailed off as he cupped her breast, his thumb running over her hard nipple.

"I'm not complaining, so don't be." His other hand shifted her around until she was over him, then both settled on her hips and guided her down onto his waiting erection. Vicky's head tilted back as he filled her, his large member sliding easily inside of her already eager body. She bit her bottom lip, her body giving in to the movements and rocking against him. Each thrust causing her breathing to pick up. She was quickly lost into the feeling as her body set the pace, her eyes closed as she panted for more.

Leo wasn't done yet however. He watched her intently, took it all in as she squirmed from his touch. Then with a slight smile he shared that image with her. Then went one step further and placed an image of him behind her.

"Leo...what are...you...you doing..."

He kissed her, hard, before he answered. "Making your dream come true dear one. Isn't that what your husband is supposed to do?" Then he made the mental image put it's hands on her. Her breath caught when those unseen hands cupped her breasts from behind and her body jerked against him. That violent twitch causing his own deep moan to echo out of his throat before it trailed off into a churr. "You little minx, you do like that..." Vicky didn't answer except to push harder against him.

Encouraged now by her positive response, he made those hands wander as his real ones held her in place. One still held her breast, firmly kneading it as the other slowly slipped down her body. Her whimpers intensified even more when that hand finally reached it's destination and slipped between her spread thighs, then pushed a finger against her sensitive nub.

Not even he expected the reaction that came from her. Having already been worked up, she immediately exploded into a violent climax. He groaned in his own pleasure as her muscles clamped around him, but he forced himself to hold back. This was just too delicious to let end so soon. Her body began to slow, but the hands on her hips pulled her onto him over and over again until soon enough she picked up the pace on her own again, all the while his mental version was still mercilessly rubbing against her clit. Then he pushed her even more by having the other hand insert a finger into that mental picture of her even as she rode him hard physically.

"Leo! God...I...I can't..." Her panting was quickly growing into a scream as her body tightened again. He cut her off before she could with another hard kiss, his hand now behind her head to hold her mouth to his. That scream came out anyway, muffled as she kissed him back. Her body shook against him as she came down hard on him again and again. Now even Leo was well past his endurance and released himself inside of her, his free arm pulling her body against him.

She collapsed with that pull, her body leaning against his as he turned the kiss into a more gentle one. He let the mental image fade as he finally released her lips and looked down into tired, lust glazed eyes. "Was that about how your dream went?"

"I don't know." She tiredly mumbled. "I didn't get to finish... But I liked this version better anyway."

This time when his body shook it was with his laughter. "I bet you did. Shame we never thought of trying that before, so many opportunities wasted..."

Vicky's face heated up in a blush again and he pulled her into a hug with a chuckle. "Dear one, what am I going to do with you?"

"Just love me, that's all I really want." She snuggled against him and let out a content sigh.

"Always." Leo kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.

Quietly she drifted back to sleep as he sat there and held her. That feeling of contentment he felt earlier once again filling him. Sure it was nice to go out with his brothers every once in awhile, but he had to admit he did miss her out there tonight. Maybe Mikey was right, maybe he was pussywhipped.

But did Leo care that he was?

No.

 **Author's note: Writer's block sucks! It took me three days to write this! Three days! Those of you who know me also know that it usually only takes me few hours to type out a chapter...not three friggin days! Ugh! Hope it was worth the effort -_-**


	25. Learning something new

Eighteen year old Amy was standing on the edge of the building, her knees shaking slightly and her throat more than a little dry. It wasn't the first time tonight she wondered how she had let her pride get the best of her, and it was that pride that now kept her from backing out. She leaned over a little bit and swallowed hard again at the height. That...was a long way down...

Twelve years now she had been training under her adoptive father and uncles. She knew every move they could teach her, and could put them together in various combos without giving it a second thought. Though not as strong or as quick as those who trained her, Amy could hold her own very well in a fight. She had trained with various weapons but preferred the bo staff and had been given her very own, handmade of course, weapon on her sixteenth birthday. Even now it was slung on her back in it's retracted form in a special harness that came with it. Donnie was experienced in making them after all.

But the one thing they had never taught her how to do, and refused to do so for the longest time, was teach her how to rooftop hop. Because she wasn't altered in any form and was at a serious disadvantage was their reasoning. Well, on her adult turning birthday, which was two days ago, she stood up at the table after they finished with her cake and she firmly told them she was going to learn it, even if she had to teach herself. And if they wouldn't help her, then they could scrape her up off the concrete. She was a damn adult now and she could learn it if she wanted too, so there. Then she crossed her arms.

Mom sighed and dropped her face into her palms as the turtles gave each other long looks.

Cris just kept a straight face and took another bite of cake, then chewed slowly, watching how this would play out.

Leo pushed his plate back with his own sigh. After he placed his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together in front of him, he then leaned them against his mouth, watching her a long while over those hands. Long enough to make Amy start to feel uncomfortable actually. But she refused to back down from that piercing gaze. "Alright Amy." He finally agreed and her heart leapt in her chest with excitement. "We will teach you. But only under certain conditions."

"And what would those be?"

"First, do not go out and practice on your own. At least one of us will always be with you. Second, you _will_ do what we say while up there. I don't care how old you are, the first time you give us lip, it all stops. It's too dangerous to have arguments with you about it in mid flight. Third, _we_ set the pace. If we don't want you trying to cross something it's because we don't think you are ready for it, regardless if you think you are or not. Is that understood?"

She was so ecstatic that they were going to do it, she had happily ageed.

Now she was wishing she had kept her damn trap shut.

"You sure this isn't too high?" Amy heard her mother ask in a worried filled voice behind her.

"It's as low as we dare to go." Leo answered. "If we go much lower we risk not being able to catch her in time if she slips."

Oh yeah Leo, _that_ was the perfect thing to say right now...

All too soon she heard her four teachers walking up to her and turned to face them, trying to look brave over the fear that was starting to set in. Each of them had bolas attached to long ropes tied to their belts.

"What are those for?" Amy pointed to the new accessories.

"To catch you with if you fall." Was Leo's calm answer.

"Oh..." That didn't make her feel better either.

Mikey was looking at her with amusement, biting his lip to keep from laughing at her. He was obviously seeing past her tough facade.

"Did you stretch?" The orange masked turtle asked.

"Yes."

"All loosened up? Nothing feeling stiff?"

"I'm good."

"Ate a light supper like I told you too right? Don't need a case of motion sickness."

"I didn't eat anything actually."

"That works too." Then he finally broke down and grinned. "I hope you went to the bathroom before you left...otherwise this might get messy..."

"Mikey!" Amy was about to strangle him.

He just laughed harder.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder a moment before it turned her around. And because of that she didn't see the smack Raph placed on Mikey's head.

"Worth it!" Mikey laughed again. "Did you see the look on her face!"

He got popped again.

But it was Leo that held her attention now, his hand still on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him Amy. Listen to me."

Amy took a few breaths to calm down and focused on her adoptive father.

He nodded with approval before he spoke again. "Same applies here as in training. Keep your body loose, the movements smooth and fluid. Don't tense up. Focus on the turtle you are being tossed to, not what is below you. We'll let you know who is going to be on the receiving end before each toss. Once we've done that to the point you are comfortable we will move on, but for now we just want you to get used to moving around like that up here. Ok?"

With another deep breath, she nodded.

"Alright, then I guess it's time." Leo removed his hand from her shoulder and took her hand instead as they walked back a distance on the roof. The rest of them were watching quietly off to the side as they turned back around. The other three were already out of her sight, probably setting themselves up for her first leap.

Amy looked at her mother one last time who managed an encouraging smile despite her worried expression.

"Ready?" Leo's calm voice asked her, his hand securely holding hers.

She just nodded again, not sure if she could get a word out past the big lump in her throat.

"Go!" He suddenly barked and they took off at a run, that edge rapidly growing closer. "Push off with that last step, gain momentum from it!" He instructed right before they ran out of room to run.

After years of following his commands in the dojo, she instinctively did just that. Her foot came down and she pushed herself upwards and out. Then she was airborne, with nothing under her. But she didn't go down.

"Raph!" Leo called out right before his arm pulled on hers, giving her an even bigger burst of speed before he let go. Her eyes immediately found the red masked turtle as he hung from a nearby building and locked onto him just as Leo told her to do. Her arms reaching out for him as she quickly closed in.

Amy saw a grin on Raph's face right before he easily caught her arm, adjusted her momentum into a swing and threw her almost straight up. "Mikey!"

That one was a bit harder to track down, because he wasn't stationary. He was already in the air again, coming in over her at an angle. Nonetheless he easily caught her, spun around with her in mid air to keep momentum going before she was thrown a third time. "Donnie!"

He was heading towards the same area she was on the next rooftop over. His path intersecting hers so smoothly there was no lurch when he finally reached her and guided her in. "Tuck and roll!" He landed with her.

She did just that, letting her momentum of her landing fizzle out in a few forward rolls before she got back to her feet again and ran on. Turtles were hitting the rooftop around her and they also kept on running towards the next edge. Then they all leapt off and repeated the process.

Slowly her fear was starting to fade. Firm hands caught her every time and their smiles at her clearly showing her they were enjoying this very much. It was infectious, because it was a gleeful excitement that replaced the fear. The more she did this, the more fun she had with it. Rooftop running fucking rocked!

Eventually they started taking her higher, though she really didn't notice. Up to this point she had held firm to Leo's instructions to focus on them. Then she made the mistake to look down...and completely flipped out on how high she actually was. Her body tensed up, her arms started pinwheeling and her legs kicking...and she completely missed Mikey's hand because of it. She suddenly found herself freefalling without a parachute and decided to wake everyone up in the nearby buildings with her scream.

It didn't take too long for her to figure out that her panic was completely unnecessary. She barely fell two stories before she felt something wrap around her waist, then her fall went from a vertical drop to a pendulum arc as the line drew tight. Looking over her shoulder told her Raph had thrown his bolas to catch her from the rooftop and was now guiding her back upwards to a waiting Donnie who was calmly hanging off of a fire escape. Leo hit that same level even as she came swinging up, landing in a crouch on the rail. Both reached out and grabbed an arm and pulled her onto the solid platform.

She didn't even untie the bolas, she just crawled on her hands and knees to the building wall and sat down, shaking violently as she leaned up against it.

"That one didn't go as planned." Leo calmly noted.

"No shit sherlock!" She snapped back at him.

Donnie was trying so hard to keep from laughing he snorted a few times.

Leo just raised a eye ridge at her, his eyes very amused. "I told you not to look down."

"Bite me!"

Donnie lost it. He couldn't control his laughter and slipped off of the rail because he was laughing so hard. Leo just leaned over a bit and watched him fall for a moment before he leaned back in. A moment later Donnie's hand came back into view as he climbed back up, still chuckling.

Mikey's head came down as he hung upside down from the level above. "You ready to give up and go home now?"

Give up? Give _up!?_ After trying for the last few years to get them to teach her...he wanted her to give up? Oh _hell_ fucking no she wasn't going to give up! She stubbornly got back to her feet and untied the bolas with quick, angry jerks. Muttering under her breath the whole time. Then she slammed them onto the fire escape. Give up indeed... Asshat... "No, I'm not!"

Donnie was laughing again as he recoiled the rope and bolas before handing them to Raph who had made his way over by then.

This time both of Leo's ridges came up, and that amusement was still there. "Alrighty then. Back up we go."

Anger kept the fear away this time. She refused to let that mishap ruin this for her. Amy had dreamed of being able to do this with them, and she was going to do it god damn it!

It was Donnie who started of with her this time. They cleared the roof and once again she was being tossed from turtle to turtle. Growing more confident in herself, and them. The next time she inadvertently looked down, she flipped the street way below her off before redirecting her attention back to where it was supposed to be. There would be no splat tonight and fuck you gravity.

By the time they guided her back to where they started, and the anxious family members who waited for them, Amy was growing tired. They saw it and adjusted accordingly the last few rooftops until they landed in that last roll. When she got back to her feet, a wide grin was on her tired face. This had to be the best night ever...

"How did it go?" Mom asked, relieved to see her standing on solid ground in front of her again.

"That was awesome! Oh my god that was so amazing! We have to do this again tomorrow! Please can we do it again tomorrow?"

This time Leo was laughing quietly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the fire escape so they could go down and head home. "Not tomorrow. You are going to be very sore, though you don't realize it yet. Give it a few days and we'll go again."

She pouted a bit over that, but he was probably right. Being tossed around like that probably pulled on all kinds of muscles she didn't know about.

Leo let the others walk ahead of them by slowing their pace, then looked curiously at the girl still wrapped in his arm. "Tell me Amy, why this intense need to learn how to do this?"

She bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered how to say this. "Because I want to help you guys. Dennis already goes out with you, but he mainly does surveillance from the van. I'm not suited for that. I want to be out there with you, and in order to do that...I have to be able to keep up. And I can't if I can't manage the rooftops."

"You sure this is what you want to do Amy? There are so many other things you could be doing with your life."

"Maybe so. But I'd rather follow in the footsteps of the turtle who raised me. I can still go to college or do whatever I decide to do, but I still want to help you also. Nothing will ever change that desire." She smiled as she looked up at him. And was stunned to see his eyes moisten up as he looked down at her. He didn't say anything else, but his arm did squeeze her a bit before they reached the fire escape.

They took her out again two nights later, and on regular basis after that. After a couple of months of this, there was a new member joinig the patrols. A new bo staff was put to use and assorted thugs, gang members, pursesnatchers and anyone else they ran into soon learned that this normal girl was anything but normal. She had officially joined the ranks of her fighting family, and Amy was loving every minute of it.


	26. Like father, like child

**Author's note: Ok, I really miss my little turtle tots. So I decided to do a oneshot all about them. Well, mostly about them anyways...**

"Thane!" Ty hissed at his cousin. "We aren't supposed to be out here!" The seven year old was nervously looking around. Nervous because this is the farthest they had ever gone into the tunnels, and they didn't have their parents with them. "We are gonna get lost!" The little turtle was seriously starting to have doubts about this.

"Then you shoulda stayed home Ty!" Six year old Thane snapped back. Even at this tender age you could tell whose son he was. "I wanna go see where they go all da time."

Which brought up the reason they were out in these tunnels alone this late. One of Donatello's alarms had gone off and the adults had all scrambled out the door. This was different than so many other nights because this time, the smaller ones weren't quite asleep as it had been believed. And they had put their already learned ninja training to use and had slipped past a preoccupied Caitlin as she tried to sort through the mountain of laundry that never seemed to dwindle in this family. That moment of inattention was all it took for five pajama wearing mini ninjas to sneak out the door. All because they were curious to where their parents slipped off too all the time.

"Slow down!" Lavi called from behind them where she was bringing up the rear with five year old Ari, and the big pink teddybear she was holding firmly under one arm.

"You hurry up!" Thane wasn't slowing down for any of them as he trudged on.

"You sure this is okay?" Dante asked. His own six year old face a little worried. "We gonna get into trouble."

"Not if ya don't tattle. Which way did they go?"

"I dunno." Ty shrugged as they stopped at another intersection. "Maybe that way?" He pointed off to the dark tunnel on the right.

"It's dark down there." Dante mumbled.

"They all dark!" Thane irritably told him. "It's nighttime!"

Ari and Lavi took that pause to finally catch up. "Dat way." Ari firmly pointed to the one on the left.

"How do you know?" Dante curiously asked her.

The youngest just shrugged before she confidently led the way, holding her bear close to her chest. The others quit wondering about it and scurried after their youngest cousin.

The five turtle tots wandered some more, hoping to catch a glimpse of their parents around each corner they turned. Their curiosity bringing them ever further from their safe home and ever deeper into tunnels they never explored before. After what seemed like ages they finally were rewarded with a faint sound in the distance.

"That's gotta be them!" Ari happily chirped before she took off in a waddling run, still trying to hold her large teddy close to her.

"Wait up Ari!" Ty called after the surprisingly quick youngster before running after her.

He caught up with her just as they heard something else, and it wasn't what they were expecting to hear in the tunnels.

"Hey, anyone else hear that?" A strange voice echoed back to them. Then the tunnels lit up as flash lights turned on. "There is something down here."

"Maybe it's those freaks. They do hang out down here." The beams started bobbing as the unseen men started walking in their direction. The sheer amount of those beams strongly hinted that there were way more than just two.

"Nah, if it was them you wouldn't hear them coming. Someone else is down here. Let's go find out who it is, we don't need no surprises trying to pull this heist off tonight."

"Uh oh..." Dante muttered, more than a little scared now. "Them not our Mommies and Daddies..."

Quickly Ty grabbed his little cousin and began to drag her back the way they came. "Go go!" He urged the others.

Thane shorted. "I ain't scared of them. I'll beats them up."

Lavi and Dante had other ideas about that however as they each grabbed an arm and began to pull Thane backwards the way they came.

"Stop it!" He almost yelled at them. "Turn me loose you scaredy cats!"

"That came from this way! Come on!"

"Big mouth!" Lavi snapped at her younger cousin even as Thane got the big wide eyed oops expression on his face. Finally Raph's son finally gave into the wisdom of a tactical retreat. The only problem was their retreat was way more noisy than their arrival as they started screaming as they ran. These turtles weren't quite s battle hardened as the more well known ones, and they couldn't quite put the concept together that it's easier to run away and hide when you weren't trying to see how many eardrums you could pop with your vocals. They were scared, and like all scared children would do in a similar circumstance, they screamed the sewers down.

"It sounds like a bunch of kids!"

"I don't care! They know we are down here and can point us out to the police! Get the little brats!"

The little ones screamed even more when they heard those heavy footsteps chasing them. Suddenly home seemed a lot less boring now. But no matter how much they voiced their opinion, those lights still came closer as the men behind them quickly caught up with tiny turtle feet. Ty finally figured out that maybe their built in sirens weren't helping matters and shushed his companions right as they got to an intersection. They looked around in consternation when they realized...they had no clue which way to go...

"This way!" Thane led the way this time as he drug Ty to the right a moment before they came in the field of light coming up from behind them.

All of the unusual children were very glad they could at least see with out the lights, but their night vision really didn't do much against the dead end they soon found. And they couldn't go back because they were already cut off, the lights searching for them as those scary men reached the intersection. They were trapped.

The only thing they could do was huddle in a corner and hope these men would go in another direction. But even little turtles suffered from that notorious turtle luck it seemed.

"Spit up! They couldn't have gotten far."

Now they held each other and whimpered in fear as they tried to stay quiet, their eyes locked on the lights closing in on them again. Then one of those lights was suddenly yanked back into the tunnel they just left even as an outline of a body dropped in front of the scared children, followed by another, more slender one. From the other side of the group a startled scream rang out as yet another one was lost in the darkness.

Little eyes watched in wide eyed wonder as Leo and Donnie closed the distance to the group on this side and let their own skilled attacks flow out. Soon enough all the lights were out, and the bodies started flying all over the place.

"Hit 'em again!" Thane shouted, now brave at the presence of his parents. And he felt even braver still when he ran towards the fight. "I hits him too!" Then he proceeded to kick the closest shin in front of him.

"Why you little brat!" The man growled at his unseen little tormentor and started to reach out to grab the little boy. He was quickly deterred from that notion as the little brat's father grabbed that arm, turned and flung the guy face first into the wall.

"I bets that hurt!" Thane cackled.

Now, of course the others couldn't be out done. Suddenly the adults found themselves in the awkward situation of trying to fight and not step on their children at the same time. Mikey had the added effort of trying not to laugh when his daughter was trying to beat one into submission with her teddy bear...

That little blonde cutie was going all out too. "You" (smack) "are a" (bop, thud) "big mean man!" (thump, plop, thwack)

"Will you quit you little pest!" The goon her teddy was beating up snapped as he reached out to snatch it from her. Then he tossed it to the side as he picked her up by an arm. Those amused chuckles died off real quick at that. Ari didn't give Mikey the chance however as she glared at the man in the darkness, then kicked him in the stomach, hard. Very hard. He dropped her, but she didn't fall far before she was caught, and the guy was kicked again...super hard this time. He hit the wall too, but back first this time and he slid to the floor.

The little turtle already forgot all about him. "Mr. Pinkums!" She wailed as she looked around for her teddy.

It was placed in her arms again, with another quiet chuckle. "I don't think Mr. Pinkums was made to do that lil bit."

Ari just hugged her teddy as she was put back down and gently scooted out of the way.

Ty stuck his tounge out in intense concentration as he snuck up on one, waited for an opening and squarely kicked him in the back of the knee. Once it buckled and he fell over Lavi took a more direct approach...she nailed him in the nuts. Ty wondered if that high pitched squeal could be heard topside...

Lavi was beaming with pride, right up until the guy gathered himself enough to try and lunge at her, and was met with a much bigger foot in the face that came around her. He didn't move after that one, and Lavi looked up, wided eyed, to see their father glaring back down at her. "Move. Now. Over there." He calmly pointed to an out of the way spot, then looked at his son. "You too."

That was one of the quicker times they listened to their father as they scrambled out of his way.

Dante found a fascination with feet. And was methodically going down the line stomping every one he could, keeping track of how many. Stomp. Ow! Goddamn it! "One." Stomp. Motherfucker! "Two." Stomp. Son of a bitch! "Three." Stomp. Fuck! "Four." Stomp. Oops, he missed. Now he would have to start all over... Dang it...

"Come here you!" Came the furious voice of the owner.

Dante squeaked and back peddled out of reach of the goon he missed.

"I'm going to-"

"Do absolutely nothing." Donnie cut the man off right before the bo staff collided with his side.

And he was the last one. Suddenly the tunnels were quiet and still except for the three mothers who walked up from the other side of the group, their own foes laid out around them.

Now the small group found themselves looking up into angry adult faces as they got glared at from six set of eyes. Mikey was the only one trying to hide an amused smirk...and was failing.

"I think we is in trouble." Thane told Ty. "I told you we shouldn't go out this far..."

The older boy just had time to look incredulously at the younger one before another voice cut in. "Does any one of you feel like explaining to me what in the hell you are doing out here!" Leo demanded.

The kids winced a little. He was mad...

Ty swallowed hard and stepped forward a little. "I'm sorry Daddy...we...just wanted to see where you go all the time. Don't fuss at them, it was my idea."

This time Thane stared at Ty, not really believing he was hearing what he thought he heard... It had actually been his idea...

Leo closed his eyes and took a very slow, deep breath before he let it out just as slow. "Boy, do you have any idea why we set certain boundaries for you to play in the tunnels? And why we tell you not to go past those boundaries?"

Ty swallowed as he looked at the men around him. "Because it's not safe out here..."

"So, you mean to tell me you knew that but you came out here anyway?"

Ty was trying to dig a hole in the ground with his slippered foot by that point. "Yes."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened if your Aunt Marina hadn't been able to track you?" Leo's eyes flashed in anger as he and the others still glared at their children. "Not to mention all the noise you were making could have drawn more in!"

"You know..." Mikey said calmly from where he was leaning against the tunnel wall. "I remember a certain rat that almost had a heart attack when his four rascals decided to follow him topside one night when he went to forage for supplies. And almost ran right into a truck as they tried to cross the street to keep up with him. I wonder who those four idiots were..."

Leo's mouth snapped back shut right before he could launch into another tirade. The other two looked at each other with guilty expressions before all four of them began to laugh.

Even Vicky had lost some of her anger as she looked amused at her husband. "Never heard that story..."

"I was trying to avoid telling it." Was the amused reply. Then Leo sighed and shook his head. "Come on, let's go home before they wake up." The look he gave them was still a little angry, but he controlled it better. "And we are going to have a very long discussion about this on the way. Aren't we?"

Five little heads nodded in agreement before they were led away by their parents.

"You think they got spotted?" Cris asked, her tone a little worried.

"Doubtful." Donnie replied. "The kids managed to stay just out of range of the lights and it was too dark for them to make anything out really. They may know there were children down here, but who exactly they are could be anyone's guess. Not the first time we've had to step in and save sewer wanderers down here."

Ty was a little astonished on how far out they had actually came, and how tired he was when they finally got back home much to a very worried Caitlin's relief. He didn't really get to see her face though because by then he was being carried in the strong arms of his father and was asleep before he was even put back to bed.

The next morning, it all seemed to fade like a dream and he really couldn't believe they actually went out and did that. But he was very clearly reminded of it when he got a good look at the main door after breakfast...and the new locking mechanism that was placed well out of reach of little hands. Well...dang it... There went that fun...


	27. Overprotective turtle mode activated

It was one of those quiet early evenings. The streets were relatively calm and a cool summer breeze scattered a few loose sheets of newspaper into lazy, tumbling rolls. It also gently sent varied colored mask tails swaying slightly as four figures stood on a rooftop, surveying the street below.

Even the lowlifes of the city seemed to be taking a pause. Somewhat of a relief actually since the main focus of these four was placed elsewhere tonight. Leo especially kept a watchful eye below, his posture very tense as he waited for the trio of women to emerge from the shop they had entered. Anxiously waiting for the very long haired brunette to make her appearance again.

Mikey was watching his older brother with amusement as he sat with his legs dangling over the parapet. "Relax bro. She's just shopping. What could go wrong with her going shopping?"

Leo just grunted as he crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving the front of the small thrift store as his large bulk shifted. The uncomfort of not having her in his sights very obvious.

And for once, there was nothing his brothers could say that would settle that unease. Vicky was in the final stages of her pregnancy, and the eldest had become…very concerned with her well being to put it mildly, though ridiculously overprotective hit closer to the mark. He didn't even want her to be out here in the first place.

But April had stopped by earlier and had told Leo's mate about this little store she had found, that held a variety of little gems intended for little life forms, and Vicky had wanted to argument had immediately broken out as soon as she had made her intent clear.

"No." He had firmly stated.

Vicky had shot him a glare, her hormones making her more than a little irritable. "Yes."

"I said no."

"And I said I'm going." Vicky had crossed her arms, Leo's were already crossed as he glared down at her.

"I will not allow it."

"I don't care if you do or not. I'm fucking _going_."

"It's not in a safe area dear one, I don't want you out there."

"Please… I could turn wrong in bed and fall over the edge and get hurt, if that's how you want to look at it."

"Then I'll have Donnie put safety rails on it."

She stared at him incredulously a moment before her palm slapped onto her forehead. "Leo! Don't you fucking dare! It's hard enough to pee as it is at night and if I have to struggle with a dang bedrail along with trying to get up out of bed with this mini mountain of a belly, Imma piss myself!"

"We can have April or Casey pick you up something to combat that. Or I'm sure Donnie will let you use his bedpan."

"I am NOT PISSING IN A BEDPAN!"

"Diapers for you it is then."

Vicky actually screamed by that point.

The argument was won by her only because it had evolved to tears. Not fake ones to get her way, Vicky wasn't like that. But simple, frustrated ones. She felt confined. She wanted to go out, to do something. Especially for the little bundle she carried within her. She wanted a hand in picking things out for it, to happily browse herself along the various shelves, she wanted to contribute more than just allowing it to grow inside of her. Vicky wanted to make her own memories and didn't want all of the burden of providing for it to be placed on everyone else and not her.

How could he argue with that?

Leo had eventually relented, only under the condition that he went with them. And that of course led to his brothers going as well. A little overkill in the protection department, but Vicky was so happy he let her go she didn't care.

The smile on her face as she walked into the store was well worth the aggravation of having to come out this evening, but that didn't mean Leo didn't worry. Leo always worried about her while she carried this burden for the both of them. And here he was, standing firmly at the edge of the building across the street, eyes fixed intently on that door to the corner shop.

Until they spotted something else and narrowed. A group of about ten Purple Dragons were coming up the street, making a loud ruckus as they did. Not a few car windows were broken as they passed, their loud, harsh laughter echoing down the small street. Leo's unease shot up some more once he saw them and his posture immediately shifted from tense relaxed to ready to engage. It seemed the quiet streak of the evening had been broken.

And of course that's when Vicky, Cris and April decided to come out of the shop, and almost ran right into them when they entered the alley to where the van was parked and waiting.

"Hey… Looky here…. Aren't these the chicks that hang out with those freaks?" One asked as he looked at the trio of women.

"Yeah, I think it is Sam." Another agreed, already closing in. "Hun would love to tell these pretty ladies hi. Maybe we should extend our hospitality." Out came a chain.

Leo's eyes flared with anger.

"Uh ooooh….." Mikey quietly sounded out, catching the look.

"Fuck off!" Cris snarled at them. Vicky just tried to back up and turned her body away from them as much as she could, but there was an asp in her hand as she glared back at them and her grip tightened on the bag she carried, fully intending to slam it upside a head or two if deemed necessary.

"Now, that wasn't very nice." A third growled as he pulled out a knife. "Maybe we should teach you some-"

That was about as far as he got before he was suddenly yanked back, swung around and slammed into one of his companions. In his place stood a very, very unhappy Leonardo. He didn't even pull out his weapons, but instead reached out with his hand and snagged another, lifting him easily and the Dragon pinwheeled his arms and legs as he flew out of the alley, across the small street, and through a window of a building on the other side.

Vicky winced a little at that one.

Leo didn't even give him a second glance, his fury now unleashed on the remainder of the group. For a few moments it looked like he was tossing a street thug salad as Dragons began flying every direction. Left, right, and a couple of them went up a bit before they came back down to land with heavy thuds. The last one had the indignity to be held up by his shirt, legs kicking, before Leo's fist introduced itself and he skidded quite a distance down the sidewalk.

Leo stood now between his mate and the group of gang members, his eyes cold and nostrils flaring as he glared them down. He had them all cleared out before his brothers even had a chance to join in.

"That was quick." Raph's was amused as he took in the damage.

"But to be expected." Donnie sighed, then made the call to have the authorities come pick up the latest group of idiots.

Mikey was just laughing his ass off.

The only thing that snapped Leo out of it was the soft touch on his arm and he looked down to see concerned brown eyes looking back at him. "You ok?" Vicky asked.

"I'm fine." A reassuring smile found it's way on his face for her. "Now."

She pursed her lips as she looked around, amusement in her eyes. "Well then…. Oh! Look at what I found!" She began to dig into the bag, pulling out items, the incident already forgotten about in her excitement.

Leo gently turned her towards the van, amusement in his own eyes now as she prattled on and began pulling out item after item. He kept his arm around her shoulder and replied appropriately with compliments on her choice. He watched the joy on her face as she critically inspected everything again before tucking it back into the bag. Maybe it had been good for her to come out, the frustration gone that had been marring her features the last few weeks.

The turtle decided then that he would let her come out more if she needed to do so…..accompanied of course.


End file.
